Red Bull driver Max Verstappen made it through wet Monte Carlo to win Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen overcame wet Monte Carlo and won Sunday’s race Monaco Grand Prix.
The first half of the race was one-way at all levels until rain fell on the Principality to give the race the required excitement.
However, despite initial uncertainty over tire choice, Verstappen was still able to sail to his fourth win of the season before Fernando Alonso and extended his lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.
There were minimal incidents on the first lap – a surprise given the track’s obvious limitations – and it is likely that nothing of note would have happened had the track not become wet in some places and stayed dry in others.
The decisive moment of the race came when Alonso Aston Martin the team opted to run ahead of Verstappen, opting for dry tyres, while the rest of the field opted for intermediate tyres.
That risk didn’t pay off, the rain didn’t ease off as expected and put Verstappen in the lead by 22 seconds as the field was decided on their selections.
FINAL CLASSIFICATION (RAP 78/78)
Great ride (all weekend) from @Max33Verstappen 👏#MonacoGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/mP3k7SXUjE
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 28, 2023
Alonso cut the gap to 16 seconds, raising expectations for a thrilling finish, but Verstappen quickly threw in gear to dominate by nearly 28 seconds as he crossed the finish line to the checkered flag.
Alpine‘S Esteban Ocon he was a terrific third – his previous best finish of the season was eighth – while Mercedes‘ Lewis Hamilton delivered a credible fourth.
Five second penalty for George Russell he turned out to be irrelevant when he withdrew Ferrari‘S Charles Leclerc in sixth place with his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. taking eighth place.
Pierre Gasly he was seventh in the second alpine, a McLaren duet or Lando Norris AND Oscar Piaster finished top 10.
WITH Sergio Perez never battling for points due to starting from the back of the grid, Verstappen now leads the championship with 39 points, Alonso within 12 points of second.
In the fight for the lead, Hamilton has a 19-point lead over Russell and a 21-point lead over Sainz Jr.
