Former F1 driver: 'Alonso had car for pole in Monaco'

Qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix was downright exciting. Fernando Alonso narrowly missed out on pole position after Max Verstappen drove a fantastic final sector on his last lap. Still, with a younger driver, there would have been more in it for the Aston Martin, according to former Formula 1 driver David Kennedy to PlanetF1.com.

Who would be on pole for the Monte Carlo race was a big question for a long time. Esteban Ocon surprised friend and foe by setting the fastest time a few minutes before the end. Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc both went even faster, although the Monegasque was later dropped back to sixth because of holding up Lando Norris. Alonso seemed to take pole position as a result, but Verstappen miraculously managed to get just under the Spaniard's time.

'Alonso had car for pole'

David Kennedy, who himself drove seven Grands Prix in his Formula One career, thinks there could have been more in it for the Aston Martin: "I think he had a car that could have put it on pole in Monaco. It was just that last several hundredths of a second."

Age plays a role

According to the 70-year-old Irishman, it also has to do with the Spaniard's age. "It is just nature’s way and you can’t beat it. There are drivers and whether they take it on one, two, or even three years – it just slips away. We’ve seen it time and time again over the years. It’s a hard fact but that’s nature’s course."