At Monaco you don’t have to rely on pure speed. At least not during the race. If you qualify second, you either have to be luckier than the driver in front of you or have a better strategy. Especially with such a cannon of a car like the RB19 in front of you. That’s why Alonso will try from second on hard tires, while Verstappen will start on the medium tyre.
Pérez is doing his best to get into the points, but it’s not easy. First he is put on a lap by Verstappen and then he also breaks his front wing. Due to the pit stop that follows, he drops back to 19th place. The fact that Verstappen overtakes his teammate also means that he has to zigzag through traffic, which will cost him tires.
It is not very spectacular up to and including lap fifty, but then the message comes that some rain is going to fall. And indeed: clouds are gathering and a few corners are a bit damp. A few drivers are already switching to intermediates. Verstappen has now completed 54 laps on his mediums and he clearly announces over the radio that the rubber is at its end.
And here comes the rain
It doesn’t stop with some splashing and moments later Verstappen goes in for the intermediate tyre. Not a moment too soon, as he almost slides into the wall on his old tires. Finally everyone switch to the belt with the green cheek. Sainz is also surprised by the slipperiness and he flies out of the bend, but without damage.
Rain makes for a bit more spectacle
Both Magnussen and Russell fail to make the turn and slide up the run-out. Russell doesn’t pay much attention as he comes back to the track, and taps Pérez. Despite various slides and small taps, the first car only falls out towards the end. With about 15 laps to go, Stroll gets out of the car. Verstappen, meanwhile, is still in first place.
Great performance again from Ocon
With a good strategy, but also certainly under his own power, Ocon drives neatly to third place. Hamilton finishes behind him with his teammate behind again. Last year’s race winner, Pérez, finishes in seventeenth place. And that includes two dropouts: Magnussen and Stroll. He can only really keep Sargeant behind him.
Did Max Verstappen win in Monaco today?
For those who didn’t feel like reading the report: yes. Verstappen had a reasonable start and remained safely in the lead for almost the entire race. This means that Verstappen has also been able to convert his first pole position at Monaco into a win. Now all he has to do is win the Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans for the Triple Crown.
Result of the F1 race in Monaco 2023
01. Verstappen
02. Alonso
03. Ocon
04. Hamilton
05. Russell
06. Leclerc
07. Gasley
08. Sainz
09. Norris
10. Plates
11. Bottas
12. DeVrie
13. Zhou
14. Albon
15. Follow up
16. Hulkenberg
17. Perez
18. Sargeant
19. Magnussen
20. Stroll
