Confusion in Monaco: Fernando Alonso’s 50-Lap Misunderstanding Costs Him Points

Fernando Alonso clarifies the reason behind his mistaken belief that he was in line for a point in Monaco after '50 laps'.

Fernando Alonso revealed that he was "mixed up" and for "50 laps" during the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, he was under the mistaken impression that he was heading for a finish within the points.

The driver from Aston Martin crossed the finish line in 11th place during Sunday's race, trailing right behind Alpine's Pierre Gasly. However, he was under the impression that he was in the top 10, fighting to claim the last available point in 10th position.

Following an incident where Lance Stroll, Alonso's teammate, experienced a tire blowout and fell back in the race, Alonso was under the impression he was contending with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo to secure a point for Aston Martin, not realizing he was actually in 11th place.

Alonso expressed his bewilderment, stating, "My confusion arose after we established the lead, and Lance moved ahead of me following the pit stops. They informed us, 'alright, we've clinched 10th place.' It seemed all our efforts were aimed at securing that final point."

"Following Lance's tire puncture, I thought to myself, 'Now it's all on me to secure this point and make it to the finish line on these worn-out tires.' For 50 laps, I was under the impression I was in 10th place.

"After I finished the race and they informed me I was in 11th place, I thought, 'Well, all that worry was for no reason.' However, it did keep me engaged.

"I'm unsure of the reasons behind it. When the race was halted with a red flag, Lance was in 10th place, and I found myself in 12th. Suddenly, they moved Sainz up to 3rd place, which shifted us to 12th and 14th positions. Ideally, we would be in the 13th and 14th spots, yet Lance ended up ahead of Daniel, which wasn't expected."

"I'm unsure of my starting position, and I'm equally unclear about the position I held while driving."

Several drivers labeled Sunday's race as uneventful, noting that for the first time in Formula 1 history, the top 10 crossed the finish line in the same order they began.

Alonso believed that the initial red flag phase, caused by a massive pile-up on the first lap, ultimately spoiled the race. This was because it gave the drivers a chance to switch their tires, which then eliminated the requirement for a compulsory pit stop.

"Alonso stated, 'If a race in Monaco only becomes thrilling through its pit stops, especially after a red flag leads to a tyre change pushing racers to the finish, taking away that pit stop thrill essentially leaves the race devoid of excitement.'"

"Perhaps it revives discussions on the necessity of changing tires when a red flag is raised, or the mandate to maintain identical tires, because otherwise, there are instances where the race's integrity is at risk."

In this instance, luck was not on our side once more. It appears we lacked speed. The weekend did not go well, there's no denying it. While we must acknowledge our lackluster performance, it's also clear that misfortune played a significant role.

"We began on a durable tyre to last till the final stages and adopt a different strategy. Then, a red flag situation forced us to switch to the medium tyre and attempt to cover 78 laps, a highly risky move akin to a kamikaze mission. However, it was our sole option to attempt to earn some points."

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