Last Updated on May 27 2025, 8:05 am

Gasly points finger at Tsunoda after Monaco mayhem – Pierre Gasly’s Sunday in Monaco ended in frustration, with debris and a pointed accusation at a familiar face from his Red Bull past. Desperate for a standout performance to rejuvenate his fading Formula 1 career, the Frenchman saw his race collapse on lap seven following a collision with Yuki Tsunoda. Although the stewards chose not to investigate the incident, Gasly was certain who was at fault, and he made his feelings clear.

What was meant to be a redemption run through the tight barriers of Monte Carlo instead turned into one of Gasly’s shortest races of the season. The contact, which took place just before the entrance to the famous tunnel section, ended with his Alpine crawling back to the pits — terminal damage had been sustained and there was no chance of him rejoining the race.

Still visibly frustrated after climbing out of the car, Gasly explained how the incident unfolded from his point of view and why he believes Tsunoda’s driving crossed the line.

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A missed chance, a moving target

“There was no loss of brakes,” Gasly clarified, rejecting any suggestion that mechanical failure had played a part. ‘I lost the brakes after we touched. Before that, everything was fine. It’s just that Yuki made a mistake at the corner before the tunnel, which brought me right up behind him.’

The incident occurred at a crucial point in the race, when the midfield cars were tightly bunched together and track position was paramount. According to Gasly, Tsunoda braked earlier than usual, but not on the usual racing line.

‘He started braking on the left. I moved to the right, assuming he wouldn’t go there, especially after making a mistake. But then he moved back to the right again, which I didn’t expect at all. It closed off any space I had. It was sudden and left me with no time to react.”

The Frenchman was clear: for him, it wasn’t a racing incident — it was poor judgement on Tsunoda’s part.

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Monaco’s unwritten code: hold your line

Gasly’s frustration wasn’t just about the collision itself. In Monaco, where overtaking is notoriously difficult and accidents are often triggered by small miscalculations, drivers have an unspoken understanding: pick your line and stick to it. Gasly believes Tsunoda broke that unwritten rule.

“Look, here in Monaco, there’s barely enough space for two cars anyway,” he continued. ‘You’re allowed to defend your position, of course. But that doesn’t mean you move to the right and close the door, and then close it again if someone goes left. You’ve got to choose. It’s already dangerous enough.”

It wasn’t just the blocking manoeuvre that irritated Gasly. It was also the inconsistency in Tsunoda’s approach to the braking zone that made things unpredictable.

‘He brakes on the right every single lap — except this one. Suddenly he’s on the left, braking much earlier. I thought he’d made a mistake. I reacted, moving to the right to brake later, and that’s when he veered over. That kind of move just isn’t fair. I really thought he would leave a car’s width.”

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Is a familiar rivalry reigniting?

Then there’s the broader context of Gasly’s current situation. His first season and a half at Alpine has been largely disappointing, with the team tumbling down the pecking order and growing unrest within the team. Following a turbulent winter, which saw Flavio Briatore return to the company in a senior management role and Jack Doohan replaced after just five races, Gasly remains one of the few constants in an ever-changing environment. But even that could change.

With Franco Colapinto impressing in Doohan’s place and Esteban Ocon who had openly clashed with the team leadership last season before his demise, Gasly knows that his seat is by no means guaranteed for 2026. A strong result in Monaco might have given him the momentum he needs, but instead he was left watching from the garage, helmet off and arms folded, as another race slipped away.

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Tsunoda’s response: radio silence — for now.

Yuki Tsunoda has remained silent on the incident, at least publicly. The Japanese driver finished the race outside the points after a messy middle stint, and it’s not yet clear whether his team will issue a formal statement.

Given that Tsunoda now drives for Red Bull Racing itself, following Liam Lawson’s surprise demotion at the start of 2025, there’s an added layer of political intrigue. Tsunoda is no longer the young understudy battling for attention.

He’s now a key player in the title fight, with direct public backing from Christian Horner and Helmut Marko. Indeed, Marko has already hinted at yet another change of drivers in the Red Bull teams.

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A wider Alpine crisis

Gasly’s frustrations also reflect broader problems at Alpine. The team is still reeling from its worst start to a season in years. After multiple reshuffles, a revolving door of executives and dwindling sponsorship prospects, morale is low and points are scarce. Even Monaco — a track where chaotic races can deliver surprise results — offered no sanctuary.

Gasly’s retirement and Colapinto’s unremarkable finish have done little to convince Renault’s senior management that the current driver line-up is performing well. With Briatore showing little patience for underperformance, both seats could be at risk before the end of the year.

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Where does Gasly go from here?

The frustration in Gasly’s voice on Sunday wasn’t just about the crash; it was about opportunities slipping away. With his ties to Red Bull long severed long ago, and Alpine struggling, the former Grand Prix winner finds himself in a difficult position. Unless he delivers something special — and soon — his time in Formula 1 could be coming to an end.

This is a stark contrast to the optimism that surrounded him not long ago. Once tipped for success at Red Bull, and then a reliable performer at AlphaTauri, Gasly now faces the harsh reality of an F1 paddock that never stands still. Monaco should have been a lifeline. Instead, it became just another footnote in a fading chapter.

For now, his only consolation is that he made his feelings clear: he didn’t throw his race away — someone else took it from him. Whether this message will resonate or simply disappear into the roar of Formula 1’s political machine remains to be seen.

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Formula One is being forced to confront an uncomfortable truth – and it’s happening increasingly behind closed doors. For all its glamour, tradition and prestige, the Monaco Grand Prix is no longer be compatible with the modern direction of the sport. What was once considered untouchable is now being seriously, if quietly, debated at the highest levels: could Formula One actually drop Monaco from its calendar?

A decade ago, the idea would have been heresy. Now it’s an inevitable conversation. The race has become synonymous with spectacle, not sport – and as pressure mounts from fans, broadcasters and even the teams themselves, Monaco’s future is no longer guaranteed. A Grand Prix that once defined F1 now risks being defined by everything the sport is trying to move beyond…. READ MORE ON THIS STORY