The Chinese Grand Prix is no doubt one that the Scuderia Ferrari family will be keen to forget following the disqualification of both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari drivers had placed fifth and sixth in the race but were disqualified after their cars were found to have breached technical regulations.
The weekend had been looking good for the Ferrari team, with Lewis Hamilton enjoying his maiden Sprint win with an epic drive in his SF-25 on Saturday 22nd March. Leclerc managed a fifth-place finish, adding some important points to the team’s tally in the Constructors’ standings.
The Monegasque driver secured a third-row start in the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on Sunday 23rd March, sitting alongside teammate Hamilton, who managed a P6 placement.
Both Ferraris got away well, overtaking Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to advance to P4 and P5, but came together in the melee, with Leclerc sustaining damage to his front wing. The engineers in the Ferrari garage must have deemed the damage minor enough to ignore, and Leclerc continued his race without a replacement.
The race was rather uneventful for those at the front. Oscar Piastri of McLaren led from the start, tailed by his teammate Lando Norris, followed by George Russell in the Mercedes in third. Behind them were the two Ferraris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
After pitting for hard tyres in Lap 15, Leclerc rejoined in 10th, overtook Red Bull’s Liam Lawson for ninth, and slotted in behind Hamilton, who was in eighth. They moved up through the grid to P4 and P5 over the next few laps, then swapped places in Lap 21.
Hamilton’s Lap 37 pit stop saw him move back to sixth, with Verstappen now ahead. The race continued in much the same order until the Dutch driver made his move on Lap 53 to steal fourth from Leclerc. There were no more changes in the race after that.
Out front, Piastri had confidently run his own race—unchallenged and unbothered by the rest of the grid behind him. His lead over his teammate, Lando Norris, extended gradually over the course of the 56 laps due to Norris’ persistent issues with his brakes, and it was ultimately a P1-P2 finish for the British manufacturer at the Chinese Grand Prix, with Russell managing to cling on to third despite Verstappen’s best efforts to get on the podium.
Leclerc took P5, with teammate Hamilton just behind in P6, but post-race checks saw them disqualified from the race. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly suffered similar heartbreak.
A Technical Delegate’s report stated that the rearmost skid on Hamilton’s car was below the minimum 9mm thickness required. For Leclerc, a separate Technical Delegate’s report noted that his SF-25 was below the minimum weight.
A statement released by Scuderia Ferrari after the two decisions reads: “Following the FIA post-race scrutineering, both our cars were found not to conform to the regulations for different reasons. Car 16 [Leclerc’s] was found to be underweight by 1kg and Car 44’s [Hamilton] rearward skid wear was found to be 0.5mm below the limit. Charles was on a one-stop strategy today and this meant his tyre wear was very high, causing the car to be underweight. With regard to Lewis’ skid wear, we misjudged the consumption by a small margin. There was no intention to gain any advantage. We will learn from what happened today and make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again. Clearly it’s not the way we wanted to end our Chinese GP weekend, neither for ourselves, nor for our fans whose support for us is unwavering.”
The double disqualification meant that Haas’ Esteban Ocon, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, Alex Albon of Williams and Haas’ Ollie Bearman were promoted by two positions. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Williams’ Carlos Sainz also moved into the points thanks to Gasly’s disqualification.
Towards the end of April, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo will present five performances that blend modernity with the medieval, tragedy with resilience, and romance with emotional depth. On the agenda: George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, Alexei Ratmansky’s Wartime Elegy and Marco Goecke’s Transfigured Night.
Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo are celebrating the coming of springtime with a focus on three extraordinary choreographers at the Grimaldi Forum’s Salle des Princes between 23rd and 27th April.
Each performance will open with Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, which premiered in New York in 1946. One of Balanchine’s early experimental works, it is a striking fusion of classical ballet and modern abstraction, inspired by the medieval concept of four distinct human temperaments. Set to the evocative music of Paul Hindemith, Balanchine’s choreography transforms the stage into a mesmerising play of sharp lines, dynamic energy and pure movement.
Then comes a deeply emotional turn with Wartime Elegy, an evocative piece by Ratmansky that brings the Ukrainian people’s resilience and suffering to life. Far more than a narrative of war and destruction, this ballet is a poignant tribute to human strength, humour and shared connections. Through a blend of storytelling, folk influences and contemporary movement, Ratmansky invites audiences into a world where laughter, sorrow and determination coexist in a powerful artistic expression.
Finally, the audience will be treated to Goecke’s interpretation of Transfigured Night, a work set to Arnold Schoenberg’s stirring composition. Originally written as a declaration of love to his fiancée, the music finds new depth in Goecke’s dynamic and deeply expressive choreography. His signature movement style—at once frenzied and tender—breathes new life into this romantic masterpiece, promising an emotionally charged and visually stunning finale.
Presented in collaboration with Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo, this exceptional programme will be accompanied by the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Jesko Sirvend. A thrilling fusion of classical grandeur and innovative storytelling, this ballet event is set to be one of the cultural highlights of the season.
Performances run from 23rd to 26th April at 7.30pm, with a special matinee on 27th April at 3pm.
Colossal BioSciences made headlines around the world this month with a breakthrough that is as fascinating as it is adorable: the creation of a ‘woolly mouse’ with mammoth traits. These long-haired rodents aren’t just irresistibly cute, they represent a historic leap forward in gene editing and a major milestone on the path to bringing back the extinct woolly mammoth.
But as I discovered in my conversation with Ben Lamm, Co-Founder and CEO of Colossal, this story goes far beyond resurrecting an Ice Age giant. The company is also on the verge of reviving the thylacine—better known as the Tasmanian tiger—and with 50% of all biodiversity set to go extinct in the next 25 years, its cutting-edge technology is poised to play a critical role in addressing one of the greatest challenges of our time.
It’s bold, controversial and undeniably visionary. Here’s my conversation with Ben Lamm.
Cassandra Tanti: Colossal is working to bring back the extinct woolly mammoth, which roamed the Northern Hemisphere thousands of years ago during the last Ice Age. However, before getting there, your company has created something decidedly less mammoth—a woolly mouse. Tell us what Colossal has managed to achieve in this exciting area of de-extinction.
Ben Lamm: A lot of people got excited about the woolly mouse because they thought it was adorable—it had maximum “cute factor”—but it’s actually also a scientific marvel.
We’ve been working on bringing back the woolly mammoth for three years now. In that process, we’ve done a lot of ancient DNA work and genetic assembly, and we’re currently in the editing phase. We’re editing Asian elephant cells with genetic targets from the mammoth.
Colossal BioSciences presented their ‘woolly mice’ earlier this month. Photo supplied
But the challenge is that there are really only three ways to test if these genetic edits work. One option is to create a mammoth—but that doesn’t seem like the best ethical approach just for testing. The second way involves creating elephant stem cells and differentiating them into various tissue types, including hair follicles, to see if we can grow mammoth hair in a lab. That would confirm that our edits are successful, but it still wouldn’t result in a full animal.
So, we decided to take a different approach. Could we map these same traits and genes—or their equivalents—in mice and engineer them accordingly? Mice have a 20-day gestation period, compared to 22 months in elephants, which allows us to see results much faster. What we found was remarkable—not only were all the traits we engineered into the Asian elephant cells working correctly, but our entire end-to-end process was validated.
We took ancient DNA, engineered it into cells, conducted cloning, performed microinjections into embryos and screened for healthy animals—and it worked immediately. We started the project in September, and the woolly mice that became an internet sensation were born in October.
That’s incredible. But where exactly did the woolly mammoth DNA come from?
We have about 59 mammoth genomes, ranging from approximately 4,500 years old to 1.2 million years old. Some of the oldest ones are over a million years old, which is amazing.
Much of this DNA comes from our academic partners, like Love Dalén, who is arguably the world’s leading mammoth researcher at Stockholm University. He and other members of the Explorers Club, which I’m also a part of, have gone into the permafrost to find frozen mammoth bones and tissues. Over the last 15 years, they’ve brought these samples back to labs for genetic sequencing.
Even though Colossal is only a few years old, the research behind this has been going on for nearly two decades.
The woolly mouse alongside the normal mouse shows the distinct woolly mammoth traits. Photo supplied
That explains how you’re doing this, but why?
There are a few key reasons. First, conservation is severely underfunded and underdeveloped in terms of technology. It is estimated that we could lose up to 50% of all biodiversity by 2050, which is a terrifying statistic. We need new tools to combat biodiversity loss. Our perspective is that it’s better to have a de-extinction toolkit and not need it than to need it and not have it. These technologies can help bring back extinct species and also save critically endangered ones.
Second, when you tackle these problems through a systems approach, you drive innovation across multiple fields—computational biology, genetic engineering, advanced embryology and even artificial wombs. While these have applications in conservation and de-extinction, they also hold massive potential for human healthcare.
And third, kids love what we’re doing. Every week, we receive 10 to 100 letters and drawings from children who are inspired by our work. We see Colossal as a company that can excite and educate the next generation while creating real impact in conservation and biotechnology.
Since the woolly mice are only a few months old, will you be closely monitoring them—particularly to study how well they adapt to cold environments?
Exactly. It’s not just about hair—it’s about true cold adaptability. We’re studying them for six to 12 months to evaluate diet, cold exposure and temperature resilience, comparing them to wild-type mice. Everything we do goes through our ethics board, and we try to be as transparent and collaborative as possible.
And yes, that cold tolerance is a core capability for us. We’ll be publishing a paper specifically on that soon.
“I think we’ll see a Tasmanian tiger again within the next eight years… Undoing some of the environmental damage caused by humans is a huge motivator for us.”
One of the other extinct species you’re working on is the Tasmanian tiger. As an Australian who grew up in Tasmania, I find that especially exciting. Do you have a personal motivation for bringing back something that has been lost forever?
I didn’t grow up in Australia, but I’ve spent a lot of time there and I love the thylacine—better known globally as the Tasmanian tiger. It’s one of the coolest animals. For those who don’t know, it looks like a mix between a wolf, a zebra and a kangaroo.
Unfortunately, humans hunted it to extinction. The good news is that we have incredible DNA samples. We’re working closely with the University of Melbourne, and some of the scientists there—like Dr. Andrew Pask—are among the best in the world.
I think we’ll see a Tasmanian tiger again within the next eight years. Last year, we completed 99.9% of the thylacine genome, with only a few gaps in areas that aren’t critical to our work. We’re now in the editing phase, modifying the genome of the fat-tailed dunnart, the closest living relative of the thylacine.
I love the idea that we can bring back animals that aren’t too far removed from our time. Just a few generations ago, Australians lived alongside the thylacine—it wasn’t some distant, prehistoric creature. Undoing some of the environmental damage caused by humans is a huge motivator for us.
Two Tasmanian tigers – or thylacines – at the Hobart Zoo
Skepticism is important, and we welcome it. We’ve assembled a team of 170 scientists, collaborate with 17 top universities and work with Nobel laureates, conservationists and rewilding experts.
When Colossal launched, one of our biggest critics, Love Dalén, saw the scientific merit and joined us. The same happened with Dr. Beth Shapiro, another key figure in ancient DNA research.
We take ecological concerns seriously. For the Tasmanian tiger project, we’ve formed a working group that includes Indigenous communities, ecologists, conservationists, university researchers and even logging industry reps, since forestry is a major economic driver in Tasmania. We meet quarterly and run rigorous ecological field studies.
A lot of concerns are valid, and we’re working on solutions. Some people will always dislike what we’re doing—and that’s okay. But if we can inspire kids, help conservation and get 90% of people excited, we’re on the right path.
Colossal has spent a lot of time on this. If you visit colossal.com/tasmania, you’ll see that even without a living Tasmanian tiger, we’ve already built an inclusive, science-based working group. We’re also preparing peer-reviewed papers on rewilding, diet and microbiomes.
So when people raise concerns—often after seeing just a short headline or clip—I always say: reach out. We’re here to educate, not persuade. And all the technology we develop—whether for the Tasmanian tiger, the dodo or the mammoth—is shared freely with our conservation partners.
Your woolly mouse paper is unpublished at this stage. Do you think that’s partly why there’s been more skepticism? Would it be different if it were already peer-reviewed?
That’s a common misconception. Yes, we have peer-reviewed papers published, but Colossal isn’t focused on publishing for its own sake—we’re focused on creating mammoths and bringing back the Tasmanian tiger.
You can stack up hundreds of papers, but that alone won’t bring back an extinct species. Academia often tackles narrow problems, which are valuable, but they don’t always lead to system-level solutions for urgent issues like biodiversity loss.
We recently released a preprint that went viral, and from our latest Tasmanian tiger update alone, there are over 15 papers now in progress. These things take time—the peer-review process is slow.
That’s why Colossal focuses on publishing around core topics, and we let our academic partners—like Dr. Andrew Pask’s team at the University of Melbourne—handle the rest. His lab alone has more than 15 thylacine-related papers underway. Some may be out this year, others later. That’s the pace of science.
Colossal says it is a decade away from bringing back the woolly mammoth and the thylacine. AI generated image by Monaco Life
What about timelines? How close are you to bringing back the Tasmanian tiger compared to the woolly mammoth?
When we launched the Tasmanian tiger project, we estimated a 10-year timeline—and so far, we’re right on track. We’ve completed the comparative genome work, built the full genomes of related species, identified all our targets and made over 300 edits. At this pace, a living thylacine within six to eight years is realistic.
The mammoth project is also in the editing phase, though slightly simpler. Out of 85 gene targets, we’ve already edited 25 with 100% efficiency—an exceptional result in genome engineering. We’re aiming for our first woolly mammoth embryos by the end of 2026, with calves potentially arriving by late 2028.
Will that be an elephant-mammoth hybrid or a true mammoth?
In biology, hybrid has a specific meaning. Most people don’t realise it’s not as simple as mixing two species. Think of having Neanderthal DNA in your 23andMe results—it doesn’t make you a Neanderthal. You’re still Homo sapiens.
The truth is, cloning an extinct species 100% isn’t possible—we’ll never have the full genome. What we’re doing is functional de-extinction: restoring lost traits like cold tolerance, thick fur, specialised hemoglobin and other key adaptations.
It’s not about creating a perfect replica—it’s about bringing back functionality that matters for ecosystems.
“One of my personal goals is to help build a global network of bio vaults—because we’re losing species faster than we can save them.”
And how can that same technology be used to preserve existing endangered species?
That’s a major focus for us. There’s simply not enough investment, innovation or biobanking in conservation today.
That’s why we created the Colossal Foundation—not just to donate our tech, but to raise $50 million to accelerate efforts in biobanking, new technology development and what we call “bio vaults”.
Unlike the seed vaults in Europe, there’s no global system to preserve animal biodiversity. We need to bank cell lines, stem cells, embryos, sperm, eggs and sequence genomes across entire species and individuals within species—not just once, but broadly and at scale.
This isn’t happening fast enough. One of my personal goals is to help build a global network of bio vaults—because we’re losing species faster than we can save them, and we need backup systems now.
What kind of regulatory controls are you subject to in your work?
Every region is different. The US, Europe, Australia, Mauritius—they all have different views on GMOs. But we’re not making products for human consumption like GMO corn. We’re working to rewild animals, which involves a wide array of stakeholders.
That’s why we’ve partnered with everyone—from governments and lawmakers to Indigenous communities and private landowners. This can’t be done by Colossal alone. It requires collaboration at every level.
A1 Padel’s 2025 Grand Master season kicks off in Beausoleil, with rising stars on court and president Fabrice Pastor revealing bold global ambitions for the fast-growing sport.
The A1 Padel circuit has arrived in Beausoleil for the first Grand Master of the 2025 season, taking place from 21st to 30th March at Tennis Padel Beausoleil Club. The tournament marks the fifth stage of the season and features some of the top-ranked players in international padel.
Beausoleil has become a significant stop on the A1 Padel circuit. Cristina Pastor, head of Tennis Padel Beausoleil Club, spotlighted the quality of this year’s competition, stating that the tournament will once again attract an elite lineup. With 48 teams competing, the Grand Master offers the highest prize money and ranking points on the circuit.
Monaco Life attended the opening day of the tournament on 21st March, where the Argentine duo Joaquín Gaitán Bernardi and Facundo Maier claimed a 6-4, 6-4 victory over the Spanish pair José Luis Begines and Alonso Lorenzo in the Round of 64.
21-year-old Gaitán, from La Francia, Argentina, is an emerging player on the circuit, competing primarily on the right side, with a 60% match win rate in the 2023 season. His partner, Maier, is also part of Argentina’s promising generation of padel players.
Pastor on padel’s global push
Fabrice Pastor, president of A1 Padel, was present at the opening match of the A1 Padel Grand Master France. Monaco Life sat down with him at the tournament to discuss the sport’s rapid international expansion and his plans for its future.“It’s incredible—we’re really climbing at top speed,” Pastor said.
Pastor pointed out that padel’s growth is not just limited to Europe. “I was in Los Angeles two weeks ago, and they’re planning to build eight more padel clubs there,” he said. “But it’s not just in the U.S.; the sport is expanding rapidly in France as well. This is the first 2025 Grand Master in Europe, and we chose to hold it here in Beausoleil to thank the club and Cristina Pastor for everything they’ve done for padel.”
He also revealed to Monaco Life that A1 Padel has signed a strategic deal with 54, a global sports and entertainment agency known for its transformative work in the golf industry. “They created a new league in golf, and now they’ve partnered with A1 Padel,” Pastor said, adding, “We’re about to revolutionise padel, and we’ll be announcing it next week—so stay tuned.”
Pastor believes France has the potential to become a major player in the sport but noted the need for greater commitment from French athletes. “This tournament in France is a way to showcase how padel should grow here—bigger tournaments, bigger stages,” he explained. “There are many French players, but we don’t yet have a top-ranked one. They need to commit more.”
Fabrice Pastor, president of A1 Padel, sat down with Monaco Life for an exclusive interview. Photo by Monaco Life.
A1 Padel has strong ties to Monaco, where Pastor is based. “Monaco plays a big role in A1 Padel,” he said. “It’s a Monegasque company, and this year’s Grand Master of Monaco will be held under the high patronage of Prince Albert II.” The 2025 edition of the tournament will take place in Port Hercule, featuring three courts, a VIP area, and a significantly expanded setup. “It will be one of the biggest padel events we’ve ever organised,” Pastor revealed.
Beyond organising high-profile tournaments, Pastor has been actively supporting young players. “For 12 years, I’ve run the Fabrice Pastor Cup, a tour designed to help aspiring padel players turn professional,” he said. “We sponsor them and provide a seamless transition to A1 Padel. That’s why we have so many young players in the circuit today.”
Pastor’s passion for the sport comes from personal experience—he was once a professional padel player himself, reaching 69th in the World Padel Tour rankings. “I saw that padel needed a change,” he said. “It had to be done the right way, and that’s why I’m so involved with A1 Padel today.”
A1 Padel is already featured on major networks such as ESPN, Disney Plus, La Liga, and TV Monaco, but Pastor has even bigger plans. “We’re adding Russian TV networks, as well as Greece and Cyprus,” he revealed. “We’ve already sold TV rights in Russia, and my goal is to organise a tournament there as well.”
Looking further ahead, he hinted at A1 Padel’s next move. “We’re currently in 36 countries, and I’m planning to take it to Asia next,” he said.
The France tournament will continue throughout the week, culminating in the finals on the 30th March.
Check out Monaco Life’s reel below from the Grand Master opening day:
Kirsty Coventry, a former Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe and friend to both Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife, Princess Charlene, has been elected as the new President of the International Olympic Committee. She is set to take over from outgoing leader Thomas Bach in June.
On 20th March, Kirsty Coventry became the first woman and the first person from Africa to become President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – a role often described as the most powerful job in the world of sport.
She beat out stiff competition, including the UK’s Lord Sebastian Coe, also a former Olympian, and France’s David Lappartient, the current President of the Union Cycliste Internationale, to earn the majority of the votes.
“This is an extraordinary moment,” said Coventry in her victory speech. “As a nine-year-old girl, I never thought I’d be standing up here one day, getting to give back to this incredible movement of ours.”
She continued, “This is not just a huge honour but it is a reminder of my commitment to every single one of you that I will lead this organisation with so much pride, with the values at the core… Sport has an unmatched power to unite, inspire and create opportunities for all, and I am committed to making sure we harness that power to its fullest. The future of the Olympic movement is bright, and I can’t wait to get started.”
A storied career
Coventry is the current Minister of Sport, Art and Recreation in Zimbabwe. She was first elected as an IOC Member as a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission in 2013 and held the role until 2021, when she became an individual member. The 41-year-old retired swimmer was elected Chair of the IOC Athletes Commission in 2018, becoming a member of the IOC Executive Board in the process.
Over the course of her swimming career, the Harare native represented Zimbabwe at five Olympic Games, beginning with the Sydney Games in 2000 and concluding with Rio in 2016. She has won seven Olympic medals – two gold, four silver, one bronze – making her the nation’s most decorated athlete.
She has also won three long-course World Championship gold medals and four short-course titles, as well as a Commonwealth Games gold and 14 African Games golds.
Coventry’s connection to Monaco
Prince Albert, a former Olympian himself, has been an IOC Member since 1985 and has held numerous positions within the organisation, including being Chair of the Sport and Environment Committee between 2014 and 2015, as well as the Chair of the Sustainability and Legacy Committee since 2015, a role he continues to hold.
The Prince was among the audience at the 144th session of the IOC, during which Coventry’s new post at the head of the organisation was confirmed.
In a statement released by the Palais Princier de Monaco following the event, Prince Albert reaffirmed his “dedication to Olympic ideals” and extended his “heartfelt congratulations to Kirsty Coventry on this new chapter in Olympic history”.
Coventry is also a long-time friend of Princess Charlene of Monaco. Both completed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and Coventry was invited to travel to the Principality to train back in 2011 at the behest of the Princess.
Coventry will take over from the outgoing president, Thomas Bach, on 23rd June.
AS Monaco Basketball’s Mike James led his side to a solid EuroLeague win over Fenerbahçe with an incredible 29 points to his name alone. The victory was crucial in keeping the Roca Team in contention for a top-four finish in the league.
After two straight defeats in EuroLeague, AS Monaco returned to winning ways on 20th March at home in the Salle Gaston Médecin, defeating Turkish side Fenerbahçe 91-82 in a crucial match for Top Four positioning.
The match, a rematch of last season’s quarterfinal playoff series won by Fenerbahçe over five games, had significant implications for the final phase of the regular season. With playoff qualification still open, both sides were under pressure.
Monaco’s Coach Vassilis Spanoulis made some tactical adjustments ahead of tip-off, choosing to leave out Greek centre Georgios Papagiannis. Injured players Nick Calathes and Vitto Brown were also absent, but Daniel Theis returned and was named in the starting five alongside Mike James, Elie Okobo, Alpha Diallo and Jaron Blossomgame.
Despite Monaco missing four of their first attempts from long range, they remained within reach throughout the opening quarter, which ended 28-26 in favour of the visitors.
The second quarter saw Monaco regain the lead after a 14-2 run, sparked by increased defensive intensity and shooting from distance.
“We had to react after the recent poor performances,” said James. “We played our game offensively and stayed united defensively when it mattered. Every game in EuroLeague is tough, especially against a team like that.”
By halftime, James had already posted 19 points, and Monaco led 47-43.
The third quarter was slower in pace, with both teams struggling to score consistently. Okobo and Jordan Loyd helped maintain Monaco’s slight advantage, and a three-pointer from Loyd in the final minute gave Monaco a 63-58 edge heading into the fourth quarter.
Spanoulis then rotated his players, giving minutes to Mam Jaiteh, whose early contribution extended the lead to nine points. A late surge from Fenerbahçe brought the score to 73-71, but Monaco pulled away once again, notably through two three-pointers from James—including one from long range—that restored the gap.
Ultimately, Monaco would control the closing minutes to secure the win, a result that keeps them in the running for a Top Four finish in the EuroLeague.
“This was a very important game against a direct competitor,” said Monaco’s Coach Vassilis Spanoulis post-match. “I’m happy with the win, it was a collective success thanks to good defence. We raised our level at the right moment. Every player fought on the court, and that’s the spirit we need to win games in EuroLeague.”
