[Rumor] Monaco Grand Prix

Bitesize Formula 1 news. Written by Drew Goldsmith, edited by Adam Wood. ### Brawn: Formula 1 is zeroing in on the “root cause” of porpoising Formula 1’s head of technical department Ross Brawn has said that several teams are closing in on solving this year’s porpoising problem, which will give them a “sizable advantage” over rivals who are struggling with the phenomenon more. Speaking on Wednesday, Brawn said that there is “a lot of activity going on in the background,” and that while some teams are having issues, others are getting to the nub of the problem. Brawn added that there are “two development routes” to solving the issue, with either adapting the car set-up or making longer-term aerodynamic changes to combat it He felt that once teams fully understood the root cause of the issue, it would give them a “great advantage”, believing it was a “transient phase”. ### IndyCar’s Ferrucci hunting Buckingham Palace trip with Monaco Grand Prix result IndyCar driver Santino Ferrucci has stated that his aim for the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix is to finish in the points and build his reputation enough to earn a trip to Buckingham Palace. He achieved an eighth place finish in the Indianapolis 500 at the end of May, scoring his first top-10 since the event in 2020, in what proved to be a strong month of May for him. “I haven’t driven an F1 car in like six years,” said Ferrucci on Friday. “For the first time, I get to meet the real Royals. Last time I was in Monaco, the Prince and Princess liked me, but I had to stand outside. So the goal is to make the top 10 and get closer to Buckingham Palace this time around.” ### Alonso: 'Perfect time' for Aston Martin to capitalise on rivals' F1 struggles Fernando Alonso has said that the current mid-season period offers the “perfect time” for Aston Martin to push on and attack teams whose seasons have been compromised by current struggles. Aston Martin currently sit sixth in the constructors’ championship with 25 points from the first eight races, with Alonso having scored 20 of those. Alonso finished sixth in the Canadian Grand Prix, the team’s best result of the season, and Alonso believes the current batch of races offer Aston Martin a chance to push on with a car that now suits his driving style. ### Sainz recalls being made aware of Spanish Grand Prix 'political disagreements' growing up Carlos Sainz has recalled that he has been aware of the ongoing political disagreements over the Spanish Grand Prix venue since he was a child, given that the tit-for-tat battle between the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and a potential Madrid street race goes back well over a decade. The idea of a Madrid Grand Prix first emerged back in 2009 when a Formula 1 race was proposed around the Casa de Campo park, while the Spanish Grand Prix itself has been held at Montmelo since 1991. Sainz said his father, Carlos Sainz Sr, told him that there was always “a rivalry” over which circuit should hold the race, with the elder Sainz a regular feature at both venues in rallying and racing machinery. ### Alpine's Ocon tasked with improving 'qualifying performances' after poor F1 form Alpine boss Laurent Rossi has tasked Esteban Ocon with improving his qualifying performances, in order to get his championship campaign back on track. Ocon has failed to score points since the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, with his most recent low coming in Canada where he was eliminated in Q1 and finished the race in 16th. Rossi described Ocon’s failure to replicate his Q3 appearances of last year as “a bit strange”, and wants the Frenchman to get back to maximizing the potential of the car on Saturdays. ### Verstappen's private jet 'banned' from landing in UK due to environmental concerns A private jet belonging to Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has been denied permission to land in the United Kingdom due to environmental concerns. The Dutchman uses the plane to fly between his races and his Monaco home, but reports in the Netherlands have indicated that the aircraft has been banned from British skies because of its environmental impact. It means Verstappen will not be able to use the jet for this weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, with the three-time champion currently leading the 2024 world championship by 86 points over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. ### The Weekender: Your weekly F1 round-up In this week’s edition of the Weekender, we run through the Monaco Grand Prix viewing figures, further rumours over the future of the Spanish Grand Prix, the latest on a potential F1 ban on jewellery and hair modifications, an email in defence of Mattia Binotto, plus plenty more.