Friday Monaco GP 2025 press conference: between confessions of powerlessness and promises for the future
Between two free practice sessions, the Friday press conference brought together three key faces from the paddock: Toto Wolff (Mercedes), James Vowles (Williams) and Andy Cowell (Aston Martin). On the menu: an on-the-spot analysis of the start of the season, ambitions in the Principality and future manoeuvres, some hushed, some outspoken.
« We’re not going to cheat, but we’re going to be smarter », Toto Wolff, fair play in Monaco
From the outset, Toto Wolff was direct. While Mercedes is still struggling to regain its former glory, the Austrian boss delivered a striking phrase:
« We admitted our mistakes. But above all, we have learned. And we’re not going to cheat, but we’re going to be smarter. »
Mercedes brings to Monaco a series of micro-adjustments, suspension, aero, engine mapping, which Wolff hopes will help them get closer to the leading pack. But no illusions: Ferrari and Red Bull are out of reach here. What I want to see is a fierce Lewis and a George capable of disrupting the plans.
Williams: Rebuild Without Renouncing the DNA
James Vowles, on the other hand, moves forward with an open approach. Leading Williams since early 2023, the former Mercedes strategist aims to revive a legend without skipping steps.
The speed isn’t everything here. It’s the rigor. The control. What Monaco demands is what we are becoming again.
With Alex Albon leading the charge and Logan Sargeant more comfortable than at the start of the season, the team is aiming for a solid Q2 and a smooth race. The director also emphasized the importance of the recently recruited young engineers: Their freshness, their boldness, it changes everything.
Aston Martin prepares for the post-Newey era
Finally, Andy Cowell, Aston Martin’s technical director, commented on the news of the month: the arrival of Adrian Newey for 2026. But there’s no question of talking about tomorrow without securing today.
The Monaco effect is always special. It is here that everything can change, for the better or for oblivion.
Fernando Alonso was incisive in FP1, while Lance Stroll seems finally comfortable with the revised chassis. Cowell clarifies: « Adrian won’t come to make a splash. He will come because he believes in the project, and because we will have earned his trust. »
Between Tactical Prudence and Hidden Ambition
This Friday, the press conference resembled more a game of chess than a scene of bombastic statements. But behind the carefully weighed words, a clear message: everyone is already preparing for the big transition of 2026, while keeping an eye on the points to be gained here and now. Monaco is never neutral. It reveals, it punishes, or it exalts.
