Welcome to Wednesday’s edition of the RaceFans round-up.
Comment of the day
As Fernando Alonso heads to his home grand prix after an unexpected point in Monaco, @Tifoso1989 reflects on the 44-year-old two-time world champion and argues he still has the pace and drive to compete:
I think part of the issue is that people tend to view Fernando as being the same age as Hamilton because they’ve been rivals since 2007. In reality, Fernando was almost the same age Hamilton is now when he returned to Formula 1 in 2021, and he was exceptional. He consistently delivered strong results with Alpine and, in 2023, came close to taking both a pole position and a race victory with Aston Martin had it not been for Max and RBR, who were simply untouchable that season.
What I find most remarkable is that he continues to perform at such a high level while maintaining his motivation despite years of bad luck, missed opportunities, and frustration. The guy needs just a decent car and as a long time fan I hope Newey will deliver it next year.
I said something similar about Hamilton last year. I was also critical of Ferrari, who seemed to underestimate how much adaptation would be required before he could perform at his best. They’ve lagged massively in addressing key areas; first with the race engineer, then the driving position, and now the brake issues. All of those factors can have a major impact on a driver’s confidence and performance.
@Tifoso1989
Social media and links
Fornaroli set for F1 event debut (McLaren)
McLaren development and reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli will make his Formula 1 event debut this weekend, taking the MCL40 in Free Practice 1. Fornaroli replaces Lando Norris for the session as part of 2026 regulations requiring teams to run a rookie in four FP1 sessions each season.
Luke set for double FP1 outing in Barcelona and Spielberg (Williams)
Reserve driver and academy member Luke Browning will drive Alex Albon’s FW48 in FP1 at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix and Carlos Sainz Jr’s FW48 at the Austrian Grand Prix.
How Monaco changed for F1 (The Financial Times)
Monaco’s financial arrangements have evolved. Analyst Ian Moore of Bernstein Research estimates the promoter pays about $32m a year to host the race, a significant contribution to Liberty Media’s revenues.
Sargeant: Le Mans ‘important’ prep for Ford Hypercar debut (Sportscar 365)
Sargeant says efficient use of limited test days will be vital as his team prepares for the Ford Hypercar debut, acknowledging they start the program behind rival teams and face a steep learning curve.
Detroit delivers another ratings bump for IndyCar (Racer)
The Detroit race averaged 1,167,000 viewers, peaking at 1,524,000, marking an increase from the previous year and making Detroit one of several IndyCar events to attract over a million viewers during the broadcaster’s first season of coverage.
Racing Bulls will have a special livery for this weekend’s race. They say they will present it on “Wednesday 7th June”, though that’s not until 2028… #F1 #RaceFans
— Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine.bsky.social) 2026-06-09T08:06:20.961Z
RaceFans always endeavours to credit original sources. Want to share a relevant motorsport link with us? Send it in via the contact form.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter andgo ad-free
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the RaceFans F1 social media directory
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Aslan Lateh!
On this day in motorsport
- 25 years ago, Ralf Schumacher won the Canadian Grand Prix for Williams, while his brother Michael finished second for Ferrari.
- Born today in 1941: Dave Walker, who competed in Formula 1 and finished his only full season in 1972 without scoring points while team-mate Emerson Fittipaldi claimed the championship.
- 20 years ago, Lewis Hamilton won the first GP2 race of the British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone for ART.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter andgo ad-free