F1 team 'may not be able to race' at Monaco Grand Prix as driver makes worrying admission

Formula 1 fans of all ages look forward to the Monaco Grand Prix but one driver has thrown doubt on his team's involvement.

Fernando Alonso has admitted that problems with Aston Martin's gearbox have added to the F1 team's concerns after months of frustration over the performance of their power unit.

Aston Martin finished seventh in the constructors' championship in 2025 but are currently level with Cadillac at the foot of the 2026 standings without a point.

Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll have endured a torrid season, with one 15th-place finish apiece the rather modest highlights of the first five Grands Prix.

Speaking to the media in Monte Carlo, where one of the most prestigious rounds will be completed over the course of the weekend, the two-time world champion flagged a more immediate worry.

"We have struggled with the gearbox since Miami," revealed Alonso, as reported by GP Fans.

"Monaco is not the place to have a random downshift, and you have rear [brake] locking or [engine] pushing or something like that.

"Then you will crash into the wall, and the driver will look stupid.

"So, that's the thing that we needed to make sure that we make a step in the right direction in Canada, and Monaco will tell the truth."

Aston Martin's two highest placings were in the last two races but Monaco is an unforgiving circuit and Alonso knows it can punish technical problems as much as any GP on the schedule.

"If you have the downshift problem like we had in Miami, probably we cannot even race, because we will crash in one of the braking points due to a very different downshift type," said Alonso.

"If we have reliability issues like at the beginning of the year, that [meant that] we completed eight, 12 laps or something like that, then it doesn't change much to be in Monaco. So we need to put everything together."

Antonelli leads the way but Ferrari fastest in practice

Teenager Kimi Antonelli is 43 points clear of Mercedes teammate George Russell at the top of the drivers' standings.

The Italian has won the last four races and finished behind only Russell in the other, giving the Brackley outfit a commanding lead in the constructors' championship.

Mercedes are 72 points clear of Ferrari, having picked up 219 points from the five races that yielded none for Aston Martin.

There's hope for Ferrari in Monaco, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc logging the two fastest times in both FP1 and FP2.