Max Verstappen wins wet Monaco F1 GP to stretch world championship lead

Max Verstappen won the Monaco Grand Prix, taking a pole-to-flag victory, dominating a race where he was unchallenged at the front of the field. But what had opened with another tiresome procession on the streets of Monte Carlo delivered intense late drama as rain engulfed the principality.

Red Bull’s Verstappen nonetheless comfortably beat the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso into second. Esteban Ocon was third for Alpine. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in their newly upgraded Mercedes finished in fourth and fifth.

With Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez finishing in 17th place after he crashed during qualifying and had to start from the back of the grid, the win has greatly extended Verstappen’s lead in the world championship over Pérez to 39 points after six meetings.

The Dutchman now has four wins from six races this season and has reclaimed the whip hand in the championship. Red Bull remain unbeaten in six meetings and have again demonstrated that they have the genuine potential to take a clean sweep this year. This was the first wet race of the season and the Red Bull looked no slouch in difficult conditions, indicating it really is the full package in 2023.

Verstappen’s 39th career win puts him one ahead of the 38 Sebastian Vettel scored for Red Bull during his time with the team with whom he won four championships. Verstappen is already strong favourite to seal his third this season even with 16 rounds still to go. Qualifying had gone better than might have been expected given the track does not play to the Red Bull’s strengths in medium- and high-speed corners and on the straights, but having taken pole he showed no sign of weakness in closing out at a circuit where passing has long been a distant dream in the modern era.

Verstappen held his lead into turn one from Alonso as the front six held places on the opening lap and the Dutchman swiftly made hay, with a two-second lead by lap three. With the race already a stately procession, there was little pushing. Ocon in the Alpine was dropped by the two frontrunners and then was bottling up the quicker Mercedes and Ferrari cars behind.

Fernando Alonso congratulates Max Verstappen after the Red Bull driver’s victory. Photograph: Mark Thompson/Getty Images

On lap 13 there was a scare for Alonso, who believed he had a puncture but was assured by his team that his tyres were fine, while Verstappen extended his lead to six seconds. Alonso may not have had a puncture but he was not happy with something as his pace dropped away and Verstappen opened an 11-second lead by lap 23. Behind them the field continued lapping line astern, the top 10 in the same order they had begun the race.

Teams were now clearly looking to take any chance at passing during pit stops while Verstappen’s pace brought him up to begin lapping the back markers including his teammate Pérez on lap 30, a time-consuming process that cost him time.

Mercedes opened the stops, pitting Hamilton from fifth on lap 31 to take the hard tyres. Ocon followed with a slow stop and Ferrari brought Sainz in a lap later. Red Bull kept Verstappen out, despite his worn rubber, to maintain track position on Alonso, who was also now into the lapped traffic. The world champion was not happy but put his head down and duly delivered solid laps while managing his tyres. As uninspiring a task one suspects it was to do as it was to watch. With a chance of rain later in the race neither of the two leaders wanted to blink first but Verstappen still held an 11-second lead.

As the spots of rain began to fall on lap 52 of 78, the race hung in the balance. Verstappen warned his tyres were gone regardless putting Red Bull in a difficult position as the lap times came down with the track becoming slick. Aston Martin moved first, pitting Alonso on lap 53 but taking medium tyres rather than intermediates.

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Mercedes brought in Russell for the inters and then Hamilton, too. As the rain hit with real effect Red Bull had waited long enough and pitted Verstappen for inters a lap later. Aston Martin’s gamble had failed and Alonso was forced in again for wet rubber. Ferrari stayed out too long, however, and were jumped by both Mercedes cars.

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The rain continued and conditions grew more treacherous and visibility fell but the order at the front remained Verstappen, Alonso, Ocon as a slew of cars pirouetted into escape roads and barriers.

They stuck at it as the rain eased off but it was Verstappen still in control for all the difficult conditions, while Russell closed on Hamilton in fourth. Having weathered the worst of it, although Verstappen did clip the wall in a reminder how tricky the conditions remained, the final laps concluded with the drivers able to maintain the inters to the flag, where for all the late drama it was once more the Dutchman who had an iron grip on the race and with it the championship. Wet or dry, he is going to be fearsomely hard to beat this season.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were sixth and eighth for Ferrari, Pierre Gasly seventh for Alpine and Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in ninth and 10th for McLaren.