Max Verstappen drove away from everyone. © APA/afp / JEFF PACHOUD

Chaos race: Verstappen is the king of Monaco

After his fabulous lap to the first Monaco pole, Max Verstappen didn't let a racing slide on the Côte d'Azur stop him. The 25-year-old Dutchman dominated the competition almost at will on Sunday in all weather conditions on the Red Bull's supposedly weak track and won the Grand Prix in the Principality.

28 May 2023

From: dpa

With a lead of almost half a minute, Verstappen relegated veteran Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin to second place. The Frenchman Esteban Ocon from Alpine was allowed into the royal box for the award ceremony in third place on Sunday. For local hero and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, the home curse continued: After a grid penalty, the only Monegasque in the field of drivers couldn't get past sixth place; he also had to follow the Mercedes duo with record world champion Lewis Hamilton (4th) and George Russell (5th). XNUMX.) admit defeat.

In the World Cup standings, Verstappen took another step towards his third title in a row with his fourth win of the season in the sixth Grand Prix. Especially since teammate Sergio Perez didn't get past 16th place in the race after an unsuccessful qualification. Perez is now only twelve points ahead of Alonso. Verstappen, who has now also won more victories for Red Bull than Sebastian Vettel (38) during his successful time with the Austrian team, has a whopping 39 points more than Perez.

High visit

As the winner crossed the finish line, there was the traditional honking of the countless yachts that were anchored off Monte-Carlo. Whether it was Brazil's soccer star Neymar, FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, pop icon Kylie Minogue or Spiderman actor Tom Holland - after the rousing qualifying in which Verstappen prevailed at the last minute, they too had the problem side of the narrow and only 3,337 kilometer long course can be seen in the race.

Actor Tom Holland didn't miss the spectacle. © ANSA / CHRISTIAN BRUNA / POOL

There was no starting attack from Alonso, who won in Monaco in 2006 and 2007 and has been waiting for his 33rd career victory for ten years. The 41-year-old two-time world champion from Spain simply couldn't get close to the two-time world champion from the Netherlands. Verstappen headed for the 2000th leading lap of his career on the first lap. He also controlled what was happening on the track, which was still dry. Alonso couldn't even get into the artificial overtaking window of under one second and he couldn't activate the DRS overtaking aid. Behind him, Ocon couldn't keep up with the pace.

He, as well as Leclerc's colleague Carlos Sainz and Hamilton, had benefited from the fact that local hero Leclerc was simply unlucky in Monaco. After an opponent blocked him in qualifying, he had to drop three starting positions from third to sixth, while the others moved up accordingly. Leclerc's chances of his first victory in the home race were already gone before the red lights went out.

The rain brings tension

When the race started, it was like it often happens in Monaco - not much really happened. Overtaking is practically impossible on the course. Alonso briefly worried about the air conditions of a front tire, but the pit quickly reassured the Spaniard. Only the recurring rain forecasts kept the excitement for action high. Sometimes in twenty minutes, sometimes in five to ten, it should drip. And then, around lap 52, light precipitation began. Now the question arose: How hard would it rain and when do the tires need to be changed? The smallest slip has the biggest consequences. And it rained more. Alonso came to the pits, then Verstappen, he had the mixed tires fitted and survived the only tricky phase in his 39th career victory.

Charles Leclerc was denied a top position. © APA/afp / ANDREJ ISAKOVIC

In 2021 he had already won in his adopted hometown. This time at the 80th edition of the Grand Prix - the first took place in 1929 on an almost identical course - he demonstrated his dominance from the start, despite concerns. Teammate Perez, a two-time winner of the season, had all his hopes destroyed by an early crash in qualifying and had to start from last place on the grid. Instead of attacking for first place in the classification - Verstappen was 14 points ahead of the Mexican before the race - he now has to fear for second place. Because Alonso really got himself in the mood for his home game next weekend. He celebrated his last Formula 2013 victory to date at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in May 1.