Round 8: 2025 FIA Formula One World Championship
Circuit de Monaco, Monte-Carlo
Race Date: Sunday, May 25
The BWT Alpine F1 Team departs Monaco after a frustrating weekend that offered limited opportunity for progress. On a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult, both drivers faced an uphill battle from the outset and for Pierre Gasly, the race ended before it truly began. Franco Colapinto, meanwhile, delivered a composed drive to thirteenth place in only his second Grand Prix with the team.
Early Exit for Gasly After Contact with Tsunoda
Pierre Gasly became the first retirement of the Monaco Grand Prix following contact with Yuki Tsunoda on the opening lap. The incident occurred under braking for the Nouvelle Chicane, where Gasly’s front-left tyre struck the rear-right of Tsunoda’s car. The impact snapped the Frenchman’s front suspension, forcing him to take to the escape road and report over the radio: “I got no brakes.” He returned to the pits and retired shortly after.
Gasly had started near the back of the grid and pitted at the end of the first lap in an attempt to gain track position through strategy. However, that opportunity was lost when Tsunoda moved unexpectedly across the braking zone.
“It is never good to end a race so early,” said Gasly. “Yuki made a mistake before the tunnel and then started braking on the left before moving to the right. I was cornered with nowhere to go. We had pitted on the first lap and maybe that would have brought some opportunities later in the race.”
“It appears most cars finished where they started, other than retirements and penalties. We have to move forward to Spain and aim to improve our level of performance.”
The incident triggered a brief closure of the pit lane entry for debris retrieval, but no Safety Car or Virtual Safety Car was deployed, with marshals managing the situation under local yellow flags. Tsunoda, who had also pitted on the first lap, was able to continue.
Colapinto’s Clean Run to Thirteenth
Starting eighteenth, Franco Colapinto faced a near-impossible task to reach the points in a race light on overtaking and strategic variance. Following Gasly’s retirement, the team brought Colapinto in early to avoid traffic and gain track position through clean air. From there, the Argentine managed his tyres and race pace well to finish in thirteenth, a measured result that reflected both the limitations of the A525 in low-speed conditions and his maturing racecraft.
“Starting from eighteenth place today, it was a hard ask to enter the points,” Colapinto said post-race. “With all the traffic and different tactics on track, thirteenth was probably the maximum we could do. We struggled with low-speed balance and just couldn’t make the car work the way we wanted here.”
“It was a tough race to round off a difficult weekend, but I’m continuing to build confidence and experience. We’ll keep working hard ahead of Spain.”
Briatore: “Fundamentally, we are not fast enough”
Team Principal Flavio Briatore acknowledged the uphill battle Alpine faced from qualifying onward, and while disappointed with the outcome, emphasised the learnings taken from the weekend—particularly for Colapinto.
“It was always going to be a difficult race from where we started. With Pierre, we tried something different by pitting early but the incident with Tsunoda ended his race. Franco did a good job—no mistakes, solid pace considering the traffic—and it will give him confidence moving forward.”
Looking ahead, Briatore was blunt in his assessment:
“Fundamentally, we are not fast enough. We’ll head to Spain with updates, including new wings, and that will give us a better view of where we really stand on a more complete circuit.”
Looking Ahead: Spain and a New Technical Benchmark
The Formula 1 paddock now turns its attention to Round 9: the Spanish Grand Prix at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. As a traditional, high-load circuit with a wide range of corner types, it offers a far more complete performance benchmark than Monaco and a clearer indicator of the A525’s true competitiveness.
It will also be the first race to run under newly adjusted technical regulations concerning front wing flexibility. The FIA has mandated stricter static load tests on all front wings starting from Barcelona, reducing allowable vertical deflection.
This mid-season change is designed to prevent teams from exploiting aero-elasticity for aerodynamic advantage and could have significant implications across the grid.
While some teams may need to redesign elements of their front wing architecture, Alpine will be evaluating the impact of the revised rules on its development plan, particularly as new wing components are expected for Spain.
“Spain will be a more complete track,” said Team Principal Flavio Briatore. “And there will be some intrigue around new wings. We’ll see how we fare.”
With regulation changes in effect and performance upgrades in play, Barcelona promises to be a pivotal round in Alpine’s 2025 campaign.
Trak Racer: Supporting Alpine from Simulator to Circuit
As the Official Racing Simulator Supplier of the BWT Alpine F1 Team, Trak Racer supports Alpine’s preparation across every type of circuit, from tight street layouts like Monaco to high-speed technical venues like Barcelona.
Precision begins in the simulator, and our hardware allows you to get close to the lap times of your motorsport heroes. Check out the simulators that are trusted by the BWT Alpine F1 team.
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