Monaco is the epicentre of glitz and glamour; expensive yachts glittering in the marina, boutiques with sky-high prices and luxurious hotels and yachts.

Every year, the Principality closes its streets to host this classic Grand Prix around the fabled streets of Monte Carlo. It is one of four races to have been on every Formula 1 calendar since the first season in 1950, alongside Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and Monza.

Many of the drivers live there, and they even have a born-and-bred Monégasque on the grid in Charles Leclerc, so Formula 1 runs through the country’s veins ahead of Sunday afternoon’s Monaco Grand Prix.

With its narrow streets and iconic corners, of which the names live permanently in fans’ memories, such as La Rascasse, Sainte Devote and that emblematic tunnel section, Monaco is a racing driver’s dream.

To no surprise, it is the shortest track on the grid at 3.337 kilometres (2.074 miles), paling in comparison to Spa’s 7.004 kilometre (4.352 mile) distance. It has faced criticism and some argue it should be removed from the calendar, believing the cars are now too wide for proper wheel-to-wheel racing and that the race is more of a procession.

The common belief is that if a driver qualifies on pole, then they are likely to win the race, barring any mechanical faults, due to the sheer difficulty to overtake in the track’s confines. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli will begin Sunday’s race from pole position after another fine performance in qualifying.

F1 Teammates Fume at Each Other at Monaco Grand Prix

However, the narrow nature of the Circuit de Monaco now poses new problems for its competitors, as Haas drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman discovered.

Traffic is a real difficulty that it is impossible to avoid contending with. During Friday’s practice session, Bearman found himself blocking Ocon on multiple occasions, much to the Frenchman’s ire.

Bearman was on consecutive quick laps, but this did not appear to quell his teammate’s anger.

Ocon was notably frustrated on the radio, telling his race engineer, Laura Mueller: “He doesn’t have to f*** my laps twice as well, you know, on the fast [laps]. He would then overtake the Brit going into the Anthony Noghes section.

But the 29-year-old wasn’t the only irritated party. Bearman lambasted the Evreux native to his engineer and wasn’t mincing his words, stating: “What an idiot, man. That was so stupid from Esteban.”

Team Radio Captures Moment Two Teammates Clashed

The American team had both drivers pointing fingers at the other but perhaps there is an undercurrent of deeper tension to this moment of frustration.

While the drivers usually appear to have a cordial relationship, the difference in their championship standings could be niggling below the surface.

Bearman is currently ninth in the standings with 18 points, separated from eighth and tenth by two points. Conversely, Ocon is in 16th with just a single point so far in the 2026 campaign, which he scored in Japan.

The 21-year-old has impressed since he joined F1. He deputised for Carlos Sainz at Ferrari when the Spaniard was suffering with appendicitis, crossing the line for a stellar seventh place on debut.

In 2025, he scored his highest finish of fourth at the Mexico City Grand Prix and has scored points in three of the five races in 2026, taking seventh in Australia, fifth in China and tenth in Canada.

The Chelmsford driver is racking up points against his teammate, who is a Formula 1 race winner with his former team, Alpine. The Normandy-born driver took his only race win in the eventful 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix but must now be feeling the pressure from his less experienced teammate.

Ocon was keen to settle the tension, however, and appeared to clarify that it was an act of miscommunication rather than any serious animosity, claiming: “It’s fine because Ollie was getting blocked like three times.

“The problem is that I wasn’t getting blocked [by other people], I was only getting blocked by him. As soon as that was communicated, we swapped places, and it was fine.”

Haas will want to close the matter now and prepare for qualifying, which is more integral than usual around the confined street circuit.

In the high-stakes stage of qualifying, the team will not want tempers flaring so they’ll have to keep their frustrations to a minimum. They’ll want to come away from the French Riviera with something to show for their efforts but Formula 1 always enjoys a curveball moment, especially in the Principality.

Liverpool have been dealt a major blow after it emerged that one record-breaking star has agreed personal terms to leave Anfield this summer, according to Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg.

The Reds are building a new era at the club this summer after a disappointing campaign, with Arne Slot being replaced by Andoni Iraola in the dugout, while Ibrahima Konate, Mohamed Salah, and Andy Robertson have all been allowed to leave on a free transfer during the transfer window.

But alongside those key stars, it has now emerged that another talent has agreed terms to move away from the club in the current window, in a major blow to the new boss.

Bayern Munich Agree Terms With Rio Ngumoha

According to Sky Sports, Bayern Munich have made Liverpool sensation Rio Ngumoha their top target for the left-wing position this summer, and have already agreed personal terms with the teenager.

Ngumoha, who became the club’s youngest-ever Premier League goalscorer this season with his winner against Newcastle United back in August, enjoyed a breakout campaign under Slot, making 29 appearances in all competitions, including nine starts.

His explosive qualities have seen Bayern take a keen liking towards him, and they have moved to seal a deal for the 17-year-old by reaching a full verbal agreement with him back in May. That came as Anthony Gordon’s move to Barcelona was completed, ruling him out of the running.

Despite the agreement, however, Liverpool are absolutely adamant that a deal will not happen, as they view Ngumoha as a key part of their current squad and their future – with some even describing him as ‘one of the best wingers in the world’.

As it stands, a deal has collapsed between Bayern and Liverpool, with the Bundesliga champions now prioritising moves for Nathaniel Brown and Ismail Saibari. But with Ngumoha’s green light already in their back pocket, it’s possible they could return later in the window if a deal becomes possible.

Liverpool have zero interest in letting Ngumoha leave, but should the player decide to push for a move away, then it could open the door.

Liverpool Can’t Lose Ngumoha

When you have a talent as incredible as Ngumoha is, as a club, you simply have to do all you can to build around them, rather than see them leave.

Ngumoha has been shown that there is a pathway for him in the first-team, and under Iraola he is likely to get more opportunities, just like Brazil star Rayan did under him at Bournemouth.

Bayern is a huge opportunity, and if he wants to explore that later in his career then that is his prerogative. But right now he is needed at Anfield, and they hold all the cards, so it would take something extraordinary to change that.

Lewis Hamilton gave a surprising response after being asked if he would be supporting England at the 2026 World Cup which gets underway on Thursday.

The 41-year-old, who is a lifelong football fan, has already enjoyed success this year after his beloved Arsenal won their first Premier League title in more than 20 years last month.

Thomas Tuchel’s men have been drawn in Group L alongside Croatia, Ghana and Panama. Their campaign gets underway on the 17th of June when they face Croatia in Arlington, Texas.

However, Hamilton, knighted in 2021, won’t be completely behind the Three Lions.

Lewis Hamilton Favours One Team Over England at the 2026 World Cup

Quizzed about his allegiances ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, Hamilton admitted that he would be supporting two teams at the tournament, stating:

“For me, it’s tied with England. Honestly, Brazil has always been my favourite team. Growing up in England, I used to love watching Brazil play. I think it’s the colours, the culture, and the players just looked the most skilled; they were so cool.

“I just appreciate where they come from. Many of the players come from the streets where they played with no shoes, and there’s something quite special about Brazilian culture.”

Alongside Hamilton’s love for the Brazilian national team, when he was growing up, the future champion idolised Brazilian Formula One legend and three-time world champion, Ayrton Senna, who tragically lost his life in a fatal crash in the 1994 season.

Hamilton paid tribute to Senna as he waved the Brazilian flag in the air from his cockpit following his incredible victory at the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix. Prior to that tribute, Hamilton received a race-worn Ayrton Senna helmet as a gift from the Senna family.

In 2022, the now 41-year-old received honorary citizenship of Brazil, strengthening his love and connection with the country.

England’s Poor Record Against Brazil

Predicting how the World Cup is going to play out is very difficult due to the unpredictable, surprising nature of football, but we could potentially see England take on Brazil at some point during the month-long extravaganza.

England have never defeated the Brazilian national team at a major tournament, with the last encounter between the two sides coming at the 2002 World Cup when Ronaldinho chipped David Seaman from a free kick and sent England home at the quarter-final stages.

The Three Lions have a poor record against Brazil throughout history, with only four wins from a possible twenty-seven, so if the two sides do clash in America, history suggests that the South American side will be victorious.