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Fernando Alonso has not given up hope of defying the odds and beating Max Verstappen to the Formula One world championship after he finished second at Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix. Alonso took the chequered flag 27.9 seconds behind Verstappen and has now secured five podiums in six races following his transfer from Alpine to Aston Martin. The 41-year-old Spaniard will head to his home race at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya next weekend 51 points adrift of Verstappen and a dozen behind Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull. “The championship is long and we will not give up,” said Alonso after he finished runner-up for the first time in nine years. “Red Bull and Max are dominating every race. The Red Bull is untouchable and even with great results, we are behind them. We are relying on weekends where they have issues. “If Max has one or two of those, then we will be a little bit closer in the championship. On true pace we are not there yet, but we won't give up Fernando Alonso “This is motorsport and anything can happen. On true pace we are not there yet, but we won’t give up.” Alonso kept Verstappen honest throughout Sunday’s race and was holding out on old rubber in the hope that rain would arrive. But when it did, Alonso stopped for drys believing the track would not be wet enough for intermediate tyres. However, the downpour continued and the Spaniard was forced to come back into the pits on the next lap, scuppering any chance of claiming his first victory in a decade. “Maybe it was extra safe but in that minute-and-a-half it took to go through Turns five, six and eight again, the track changed completely,” added Alonso. “The lap we stopped was completely dry but on my out-lap from the pits, it was wet. “There was a huge margin behind me to do two stops and we thought it was the right thing to do. It was a complex race to read and execute.”

Christian Horner fears the Monaco Grand Prix will be “left behind” unless drastic changes are made to Formula One’s most famous track – as rain saved another procession in the principality on Sunday. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen led every lap to win for a second time in Monte Carlo, extending his championship lead to 39 points after six rounds. Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso took second place, with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon third. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished fourth and fifth respectively for Mercedes. Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s closest title challenger, endured a horror show. He started last and finished 16th after five pit stops, and multiple collisions with different competitors, and the walls that wind their way round the two-mile course. For 51 laps, the race was a dud. Verstappen saw off Alonso on the short run to Sainte Devote and the major players followed round one by one. The rain enlivened the predictable spectacle. Carlos Sainz slid off and kissed the wall at Mirabeau in his Ferrari, while Russell and Perez made contact after the Mercedes man rejoined the track following an error, also at the rain-soaked Mirabeau corner. Lance Stroll hit the barriers twice and Haas’ calamitous decision to keep Kevin Magnussen on slick tyres backfired as the Dane crunched the wall at Rascasse. But take away the sodden race track, and the top dozen were on course to take the chequered flag in the order they started. And even with the downpour, Verstappen, Alonso and Ocon, who started first, second and third, finished first, second and third. “It was an exceptionally boring race until the rain came down,” was Russell’s damning verdict. Red Bull team principal Horner, fresh from celebrating his team’s sixth win from as many races, picked up the debate. “It’s Monaco and it’s here for its history and its uniqueness,” he said. “But the problem is that the cars are so big now. “All venues have to evolve a little and if there was just one area where you could create space for an overtake it would just give that chance, because so much weight is placed on qualifying. The race is won or lost on Saturday. “I am sure that with the creativeness there is and the amount of land they are reclaiming here, there’s got to be the opportunity to introduce a bigger braking zone. “Maybe make Turn 1 a little sharper or slower, or extend the circuit if there is the opportunity to add in another kilometre that included a hairpin – that would be phenomenal. “It’s something to contemplate because when you think of the next 20 years of Monaco you don’t want to see it left behind. “It earns its place on the calendar. It’s the jewel in the crown in many respects, but as the sport continues to move forward you can’t stand still, and Monaco needs to be part of that process.” Despite being considered among the most glamorous events in world sport, the Monaco track has remain largely unchanged from the first grand prix staged in 1929, and some have claimed it is no longer fit for purpose in its current guise. F1 bosses have looked at ways to adapt the tight and twisty layout, but have made little progress. Verstappen kept his composure in the changeable conditions, and even survived a bump with the wall when the rain landed at Portier, to take his 39th win for Red Bull, surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s record of 38 victories for the grid’s all-conquering team. “If you have a good car you can break these numbers,” said Verstappen. “I never thought I would be in this position in my career. Growing up, I wanted to be a Formula One driver and I am now winning these races. It is amazing and better than I could have ever imagined.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Fernando Alonso ready to pounce if Max Verstappen makes a slow start in Monaco Max Verstappen fends off Fernando Alonso to take pole position in Monaco Lewis Hamilton: Racist abuse of Vinicius Junior really hits home for me

Max Verstappen survived a rain shower and the looming threat of Fernando Alonso to secure an impressive victory at a one-sided Monaco Grand Prix. Verstappen, who beat Alonso to pole position by just 0.084 seconds, kept his cool in the slippery conditions to lead Sunday’s 78-lap race, which lasted nearly two hours from start to finish, as he secured his fourth win of the season. Alonso finished 27.9 seconds behind the Red Bull driver with Esteban Ocon third for Alpine, as the Frenchman claimed only the third podium of his career. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell took advantage of the rain to cross the line in fourth and fifth respectively for Mercedes. Sergio Perez started last after he crashed out of qualifying and finished 16th following a terrible race for the Mexican driver which included five pit stops. With Perez failing to score, Verstappen extended his lead in the standings from 14 to 39 points after six rounds of 22. A dreary race suddenly burst into life on lap 51 as it started spitting at Casino Square, through Mirabeau and on the entry into the tunnel. Verstappen held a 10-second lead over Alonso but, despite the rain, Aston Martin hauled the Spaniard in for his first stop of the day and elected to send him out on the dry rubber. However, the spots of rain became heavier and Verstappen – now on 52-lap old slick tyres – had to tippy-toe his way back to the pits. “I have to drive super-slow because my tyres are f*****,” said Verstappen. The Dutchman briefly lost control of his Red Bull on the entry to the tunnel, grazing the wall, before safely making it back to the pits to bolt on the intermediate tyres. Aston Martin’s call to send Alonso out on the dry tyres afforded Verstappen some much-needed breathing space, with the Spaniard back in on the following lap for the intermediate rubber. He managed to hang on to second, but was now 22 seconds down the road. A lap earlier, Mercedes and Alpine had been the first to move from dry to wet tyres, propelling Hamilton above Carlos Sainz and Russell ahead of Charles Leclerc. Ocon remained in third. Sainz then became the first of the major players to spin – losing control of his Ferrari under braking at Mirabeau, kissing the wall, and dropping him down the order. The rain continued to fall and the chaos continued. Russell was hit with a five-second penalty after he ran off the road, and rejoined in front of Perez, causing the two men to make contact. Lance Stroll hit the barriers twice and Haas’ calamitous decision to keep Kevin Magnussen on slick tyres backfired as the Dane crunched the wall at Rascasse. Up front and with Verstappen in control, Russell put the power down to ensure his penalty would have no effect on his result, and called on his Mercedes team to allow him past team-mate Hamilton to help his cause. “I am just stuck right up Lewis’ gearbox here,” said Russell, but the Mercedes men did not trade positions. Russell took the chequered flag 10 seconds clear to keep fifth. Leclerc finished sixth, one place ahead of Pierre Gasly, with Sainz eighth and Lando Norris ninth for McLaren.

Max Verstappen saw off Fernando Alonso to take pole position in a scintillating qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix. Alonso’s Aston Martin mechanics celebrated wildly after it appeared as though the 41-year-old Spaniard had taken his first pole in 11 years. F1 grid: Starting positions for Monaco Grand Prix But Verstappen delivered a mesmerising final sector in Monte Carlo to take top spot with his final throw of the dice, beating Alonso by just 0.084 seconds. Charles Leclerc finished third for Ferrari but received a three-place grid drop for impeding Lando Norris, so starts sixth with Esteban Ocon in third and Carlos Sainz fourth. Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth for Mercedes, two places ahead of team-mate George Russell, but starts in fifth due to Leclerc’s penalty - with Sergio Perez set to start Sunday’s 78-lap race from last place after he crashed out. Follow updates from the Monaco Grand Prix with The Independent - the race starts at 2pm (BST). Read More F1 grid: Starting positions for Monaco Grand Prix Max Verstappen fends off Fernando Alonso to take stunning pole in Monaco Lewis Hamilton makes joyous revelation despite Monaco qualifying result

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Mercedes boss Toto Wolff suggested marshals had turned the Monaco Grand Prix into a circus act following their unusual removal of Lewis Hamilton’s car. Hamilton crashed out of final practice on Saturday after he lost control of his Mercedes under braking at Mirabeau. Hamilton’s stricken machine was hoisted high into the air by a crane, allowing photographers to capture the underbelly of the seven-time world champion’s upgraded machine. The car’s floor is a heavily guarded secret in Formula One, but Mercedes’ new design – which broke cover for the first time here in the principality – was put on show for their rivals to see. “Whoever performed the crane has probably worked for Cirque du Soleil before,” said Wolff. “Honestly, that I don’t even comprehend. The car was on the road. You could have put it on a truck. You’re showcasing a car to everyone in the world. That was suboptimal for us, to say the least.” Wolff added: “We should not thrash the stewards. Everybody is doing their best and I don’t want to be a team principal that lashes out at stewards who are doing their job.” After giving up on this season’s car on the eve of the opening race in Bahrain, Mercedes have spent the ensuing dozen weeks working on a new design philosophy. The Silver Arrows have abandoned their controversial zero-sidepod concept and introduced a new front suspension, new floor and cooling system in a drastic change of development on a car which has contributed to the longest losing streak of Hamilton’s career. Mercedes are keen not to draw too many conclusions at this week’s unique Monte Carlo configuration – and believe the following round at the well-trodden Circuit de Catalunya venue on the outskirts of Barcelona will present them with a better understanding of where they stand. Hamilton starts fifth on Sunday following Charles Leclerc’s three-place grid penalty. George Russell lines up eighth in the other Mercedes. “This car is a son of a gun,” said Hamilton. “I was pushing so hard and overdriving which is the worst place to be. “If I underdrive, or I drive the car to its limit, we might not get into the top 10. But the upgrades were good this weekend, so I’m grateful for those.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Fernando Alonso ready to pounce if Max Verstappen makes a slow start in Monaco Max Verstappen fends off Fernando Alonso to take pole position in Monaco Lewis Hamilton: Racist abuse of Vinicius Junior really hits home for me

Fernando Alonso hopes he can take advantage of Max Verstappen’s inconsistent starts to end his 10-year wait for victory at Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix. The evergreen Alonso, 41, lines up behind Verstappen following an exhilarating qualifying session in the sun-cooked principality. Home favourite Charles Leclerc will be third on the grid for Ferrari, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell sixth and eighth respectively in their revamped Mercedes machines. Alonso took his last pole at the 2012 German Grand Prix, but he looked destined to end his 3,961-day losing streak when he moved to the top of the time charts in the closing stages. Verstappen was the only driver who could spoil the dreams of Alonso, and his Aston Martin mechanics, who had already celebrated wildly in the belief that their man had captured pole. Verstappen trailed Alonso by two tenths before he delivered a mesmerising final sector on the most famous streets in Formula One to take pole by just 0.084 seconds. “We will try to win,” said Alonso, who claimed his 32nd and final victory in Spain a decade ago. “We need some help from Max but I am not going to take it for granted. “It’s a very short run into Turn 1. We normally have a good start. Max is a bit inconsistent, so maybe he has one of those bad ones tomorrow.” Qualifying is crucial in Monte Carlo given how troublesome it is to pass at this tight and twisty venue. However, the omens are encouraging for Alonso. In the last seven years, the driver starting from second has won on more occasions than the man on pole. The last time Alonso started a race in Monaco from the front row – back in 2007 – he won. Rain could also be a factor. A victory for Alonso would be a popular one in the sport. But Verstappen’s team has won every race this season, and the Dutchman’s Red Bull is so often imperious over the course of a race distance, rather than a single lap. “I would like to see Fernando win,” admitted Verstappen. “But I would like to win, too, so we will see. “In qualifying you need to go all out and risk it all. My first sector wasn’t ideal in my final lap and I was a bit cautious, but then I knew I was behind so in the last sector I just gave it everything I had, clipping a few barriers along the way.” Further back, Mercedes were banking on their much-anticipated upgrade providing them with a springboard to challenge the grid’s all-conquering Red Bull team. But on its grand unveiling here, Hamilton was at odds with his new car. Hamilton, who earlier crashed in final practice on Saturday following a mistake at the right-hander Mirabeau, missed the chicane in the opening stage of qualifying – only avoiding an early bath with his final lap – before scrambling into Q3 after he grazed the wall at the swimming pool chicane. “Man this car is hard to drive,” said the seven-time world champion, who also reported there was “something wrong” with his right-rear suspension. He eventually finished 0.360 secs behind Verstappen, with team-mate Russell six tenths adrift. Sergio Perez is Verstappen’s closest championship challenger, but the Mexican will start Sunday’s 78-lap race at the back of the pack after he crashed out of qualifying. The running was just six minutes old when Perez – 14 points adrift of Verstappen in the standings – carried too much speed through the opening Sainte Devote corner and thudded into the wall before coming to a standstill in the middle of the circuit. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen fends off Fernando Alonso to take pole position in Monaco Lewis Hamilton: Racist abuse of Vinicius Junior really hits home for me Bernie Ecclestone would be surprised if Lewis Hamilton wanted to leave Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton was joyous after qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix, insisting he hadn’t enjoyed the race as much since 2008. The seven-time world champion, driving a new-look Mercedes this weekend, made an error and crashed towards the end of third practice on Saturday morning. But his car was repaired in time for a topsy-turvy qualifying session, with the 38-year-old sneaking through the opening two sessions before setting the sixth-fastest time in Q3. Yet despite the ‘midfield’ result, Hamilton revealed he has been in a “good frame of mind” all weekend and has “loved every second of the track” in the principality so far. “It’s been an amazing weekend,” said three-time Monaco winner Hamilton after qualifying. “I’ve loved every second of the track. More than ever! Haven’t enjoyed it as much since 2007, 2008, Formula 3 days. We’ve made some really good changes. “I’ve arrived here this weekend in a really good frame of mind. I feel really refreshed, I’ve loved the challenge of being in the car. I’m glad I didn’t break the new components! “Those changes have helped the feeling… going in the right direction. I don’t think we’ll get a full read of the sidepods until Barcelona when we’ll see the car come alive. Hamilton also took sole fault for the collision with the wall at the end of FP3. “The car felt like a real handful,” he said of his early running on Saturday. “Switching on the tyres was hard. A decision I took, against everyone’s judgement, and it made it hard. That’s as fast as our car could go, maybe a tenth better.” Max Verstappen snatched pole from Fernando Alonso in a thrilling end to qualifying, with Charles Leclerc third and Esteban Ocon a surprise name in fourth. Hamilton’s team-mate, George Russell, could only manage eighth for Sunday’s race, where rain could play a part. Read More F1 grid: Starting positions for Monaco Grand Prix Max Verstappen fends off Fernando Alonso to take stunning pole in Monaco Lewis Hamilton crashes in new Mercedes at Monaco Grand Prix practice Lewis Hamilton has shut the door on Ferrari – will he come to regret it? F1’s Charles Leclerc drops huge hint about Lewis Hamilton’s potential future at Ferrari

Max Verstappen saw off Fernando Alonso to take pole position in a scintillating qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix. Alonso’s Aston Martin mechanics celebrated wildly after it appeared as though the 41-year-old Spaniard had taken his first pole in 11 years. But Verstappen delivered a mesmerising final sector in Monte Carlo to take top spot with his final throw of the dice, beating Alonso by just 0.084 seconds. Charles Leclerc finished third for Ferrari, one spot ahead of Alpine’s Esteban Ocon with Carlos Sainz fifth. Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth for Mercedes, two places ahead of team-mate George Russell, with Sergio Perez set to start Sunday’s 78-lap race from last place after he crashed out. “I’m very happy,” said Verstappen. “We knew that this was going to be a little bit of a struggle to get everything together. “In qualifying you need to go all out and risk it all. “My first sector wasn’t ideal in my final lap and I was a bit cautious, but then I knew I was behind so in the last sector I just gave it everything I had, clipping a few barriers along the way. I am happy to be on pole here for the first time.” It has been 3,691 days since Alonso’s last pole in the sport and the rejuvenated Aston Martin driver looked on course to finally end his losing streak when he temporarily moved to the top of the time charts after declaring he was “pushing like an animal”. Verstappen was the only driver who could spoil both the dreams of Alonso and Aston Martin, and he trailed the Spaniard by two tenths heading into the final sector. But the double world champion danced his way through the final part of the circuit to finish clear of Alonso and claim a pole which he will be expected to convert into his fourth victory from the opening six rounds. Alonso said: “Obviously pole position means a lot in Monaco, but today Max was a little bit faster, which is a shame. “Let’s see what we can do tomorrow in terms of strategy and if there is any weather coming. We will try to win it. “It’s a very short run into Turn 1. We normally have a good start. Max is a bit inconsistent so maybe he has one of those bad ones tomorrow.” Mercedes were banking on their much-anticipated upgrade providing them with a springboard to challenge the grid’s all-conquering Red Bull team. But on its grand unveiling here in the sun-cooked principality, Hamilton was at odds with his new machine. The British driver, who crashed out of final practice following a mistake at the right-hander Mirabeau, missed the chicane in Q1, only avoiding an early bath with his final lap, before scrambling into Q3 after he grazed the wall at the swimming pool chicane. “Man this car is hard to drive, mate,” said the seven-time world champion, who also reported there was “something wrong” with his right-rear suspension. He finished four tenths behind Verstappen in Q3 with team-mate Russell six tenths adrift. Perez is Verstappen’s closest championship challenger, but the Mexican driver will start the race at the back of the pack. The running was just six minutes old when Perez – 14 points adrift of Verstappen in the standings – carried too much speed through the opening Sainte Devote corner and thudded into the wall. Perez sustained extensive damage to the left-hand side of his Red Bull before coming to a standstill in the middle of the circuit. “I crashed, I crashed,” said Perez, who now faces losing serious ground to Verstappen in the championship race with overtaking extremely challenging at this most unique of configurations. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Lewis Hamilton: Racist abuse of Vinicius Junior really hits home for me Bernie Ecclestone would be surprised if Lewis Hamilton wanted to leave Mercedes Lewis Hamilton insists right decision is made as Emilia Romagna GP cancelled

Lewis Hamilton crashed into the barriers to bring third practice to an abrupt end at the Monaco Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion lost control of his revamped Mercedes through the right-hander Mirabeau and ended up in the wall. Hamilton sustained front suspension damage in the low-speed accident with his Mercedes team now facing a race against time to repair his car for qualifying at 4pm local time (3pm UK). “Sorry about that, mate,” said Hamilton on the radio, shortly before trudging away from his broken machine with his hands behind his back. “No worries, we will sort it,” replied Hamilton’s race engineer Peter Bonnington. Hamilton was running in eighth place before he crashed out with just five minutes remaining. The 38-year-old had set the fastest first sector of the session before hitting the wall. It meant Max Verstappen topped the timesheets heading into qualifying on Saturday, with Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez second. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was third. Read More F1 Monaco Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying updates and FP3 results after Lewis Hamilton crash What time is F1 qualifying today at the Monaco Grand Prix? Lewis Hamilton has shut the door on Ferrari – will he come to regret it?