Alonso warns Aston Martin gearbox problem could trigger Monaco crashes

A persistent problem arrives at the worst possible circuit

Fernando Alonso has issued a stark warning ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, urging Aston Martin to bring its powertrain issues under control before the narrow, unforgiving streets of Monte Carlo expose their true cost.

Alonso is acutely aware of how dangerous that combination of factors could be in Monaco, where any sudden loss of rear grip or mechanical miscommunication has immediate consequences.

"Monaco is not the place to have a random downshift — to have rear locking or pushing or something like that — because then you will crash into the wall, and the driver will look stupid. But we are passengers sometimes when you put one gear down and you have push on the engine, like going on full throttle. So that's the thing that we need to make sure that we made a step in the right direction in Canada, and Monaco will tell the truth."

Stroll confirms gear sync loss through slow corners

Teammate Lance Stroll offered further detail on the issue, confirming that progress was made in Montreal but that the underlying problem remains far from solved — particularly through low-speed sections like the iconic Loews hairpin.

"It was a little bit better in Canada," Stroll said. "But then every time we're under 40km/h we lose sync a few gears. So we have to re-sync gears. Like here for example, every time we go through Loews hairpin, we're going to lose sync completely on the gears. Then we're going to have to sync those again, which is huge lap time every time we have to sync a gear."

The Canadian round did provide some encouragement on performance — Alonso advanced to SQ2 in sprint qualifying — but the battle for championship points continues to elude the team.

Alonso tempers expectations but won't give up on Monaco

With the gearbox concern unresolved and the midfield competition intensely compressed, Alonso is not optimistic about his chances of breaking into the top ten. Alpine, Haas, and Racing Bulls all represent formidable obstacles standing between Aston Martin and the points zone.

"Looking at the first races, I would say that there is no chance to score points, because I think the top 10 cars and top five teams are quite well ahead of everyone else," he admitted. "If one of the Alpines, which is the fifth team, doesn't perform well that weekend, there is always one [team] doing very well, like Haas in China, and some other teams that perform well that specific weekend — [Racing Bulls], very fast always, and things like that. So, to be in the top 10, I think it's very, very difficult and very hard. But I don't know, it's Monaco. We try to do our best weekend possible."

It is a measured, realistic assessment from a driver who has seen enough of F1 to know when the odds are stacked against him. The stakes are compounded by the fact that Adrian Newey is expected to return to the Aston Martin paddock in Monaco after a three-month trackside absence — adding further scrutiny to a weekend the team cannot afford to get wrong.