Fernando Alonso faces a tough reality at the Monaco Grand Prix

It is difficult to believe, but Fernando Alonso will start the Monaco Grand Prix from P21. It is a stunningly low result for the Aston Martin driver, who simply could not extract any more pace from his machine on the streets of Monte Carlo.

Alonso was clear about the nature of his struggle, pointing to deep-rooted technical woes rather than a simple misstep in the garage. "It’s not a setup problem, it’s just fundamental issues on the car," he admitted. It is a sobering assessment from the veteran, and frankly, it sounds like a long race awaits.