Motor Sports

Max Verstappen wins the Monaco Grand Prix, Alonso gets podium

by
Dan Chemjor
May 29, 2023

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Max Verstappen won the Monaco Grand Prix. Photo/F1

Max Verstappen won the Monaco Grand Prix to take charge of the Formula 1 Championship race.
Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon completed the Podium places.

Max Verstappen won for the fourth time in six races to seize a complete grasp of the 2023 Formula 1 championship at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Red Bull’s driver withstood a mid-race deluge to defeat Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who was unhappy to finish second after targeting victory in Monte Carlo. Esteban Ocon completed the podium with a timely third-place finish for Alpine.

ALONSO AND OCON GET PODIUM

In P2 was Fernando Alonso.|PHOTO: F1|

Fernando Alonso of Spain came in second for Aston Martin but was a whopping 27.9 seconds down at the finish line in a race that was made more exciting by the rain following an opening round of 51 laps in dry weather.

For Renault-owned Alpine, who finished in the top three for the first time this season, Frenchman Esteban Ocon completed the podium in third position.

Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion and driver for Mercedes, finished fourth and earned an extra point for the best lap.

Verstappen’s teammate and closest competitor Sergio Perez, who won the race last year, started last and finished 16th after being passed twice. On a horrible afternoon, the Mexican made five pit stops.

George Russell of Mercedes finished fifth, and local favorite Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, who had dropped three places on the grid for qualifying interference, finished sixth.

The remaining points spots were filled by Carlos Sainz of Ferrari, Oscar Piastri of McLaren, Lando Norris of McLaren, and Pierre Gasly of Alpine.

HOW THE RACE UNFOLDED

F1 drivers racing in Monaco. Photo/F1

Verstappen took the lead early and decisively on the medium tyres, with Alonso choosing the harder compound and following closely behind.

Even if the top three from the starting grid ended up on the podium, the late rain added excitement as drivers skidded around a circuit that was wet in some spots but dry in others.

Some drivers, including Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, approached the barriers too closely before making an intermediate or full wet tire change.

At Portier, Verstappen again skidded uncomfortably as he delayed his pit stop until lap 56 due to the rain, while Alonso first stopped for medium tires before having to come back in for intermediates.

If Alonso had chosen the intermediate tires right away, Red Bull CEO Christian Horner claimed Verstappen would certainly have been under greater pressure.

Lance Stroll, a Canadian teammate who had been involved in many collisions with other drivers, retired as Alonso celebrated his seventh podium of the year and greatest performance for Aston Martin.

Kevin Magnussen of Haas was the only other driver that retired before crossing the finish line after colliding with barriers at Rascasse.

His colleague Nico Hulkenberg finished 17th in the 150th race for the team and was given a five-second time penalty for crashing with Logan Sargeant of Williams.

MERCEDES UPGRADES

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Motor Sports

Max Verstappen wins the Monaco Grand Prix, Alonso gets podium

ALONSO AND OCON GET PODIUM

HOW THE RACE UNFOLDED

MERCEDES UPGRADES