Leclerc, Verstappen agree with Alonso's Monaco assessment

Charles Leclerc has agreed with Fernando Alonso's assessment that Formula 1 "always has to" feature the Monaco Grand Prix on the calendar.

The Monte Carlo race has drawn criticism in recent years for a lack of overtaking on race day as well as enjoying special privileges, such as local TV producing the World Feed broadcast.

However, for 2023, Formula 1 Management has taken production in-house and advertising coming into line with other circuits.

The race is currently contracted until the end of 2025, with two-time winner Alonso thinking it "doesn't sound right" to drop the event.

Alonso and Leclerc back Monaco

"I think the lap is high adrenaline and if we see also how it looks on TV, when I was sitting in the car, you see the whole Monaco today on a sunny day, I think it is a very unique place," Alonso told media, including RacingNews365.com.

"Even last year when there were talks that maybe Monaco was not on the calendar for the future, it doesn't sound right. It has to be always."

Leclerc – who is the first Monegasque driver in F1 since Louis Chiron in the early 1950s – highlighted the importance of qualifying after Saturday's thrilling session.

"Yeah, exactly," he said in response to Alonso.

"It's just such an exciting day, then race day, yes, it is not the most exciting race in terms of overtaking but the Saturday is just incredible.

"The feeling that we have over the quali lap is so good and yeah, it's like nowhere else on the calendar. So yeah, it feels really good."

The World Champion wades in

Max Verstappen, who grabbed a stunning pole right at the death on Saturday, also pointed to the thrill and challenge of a qualifying lap around the tight, twisty circuit.

"It’s of course a lot of adrenaline. I can feel that every time you jump in the car, your heart rate probably is a bit higher than on other tracks when you do a qualifying lap," the 2021 winner said.

"Because you know that when you make one tiny misjudgement or whatever, you end up in the wall. And yeah, definitely from all the street circuits we do, this one over a quali lap [is] definitely the hardest, I think, to nail and you feel it when you jump out of the car.

"You're full of adrenaline and your heart rate is still higher than other qualifyings."