Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix which alternated between a dry snoozefest and a wet snoozefest at the notoriously poor overtaking circuit. Verstappen easily coasted home to a victory by a comfortable margin over second-place finisher Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin while the third and final podium place was a somewhat more contested affair with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon holding off seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.
The Monaco circuit is infamous for the inability to overtake in nearly all sections of the course and that notoriety lived up to its fame as the top six spots stayed exactly as they began for 32 laps – with Verstappen on pole and being followed around on the track by Alonso, Ocon, Carlos Sainz, Jr. of Ferrari, Hamilton and Sainz, Jr.’s Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc.
Finally, on Lap 32, Hamilton and Mercedes altered the order by pitting first and beginning the gradual pit parade procession over the next 20-25 laps until a passing rainstorm intervened to shake things up on Lap 54. By Lap 60, nearly all cars had switched to intermediate rain tires and the resulting strategy and pit chaos meant both Ferraris dropped from the top six, leaving Hamilton and his Mercedes teammate, George Russell, as the beneficiaries. However, it also meant a new, wet snoozefest, as the order of the top five did not change for the race’s final 18 laps.
Verstappen’s easy victory padded his Formula 1 driver’s standings lead to 39 points over his Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez – 144 points for Verstappen to 105 points for Perez – with Alonso in a solid third with 93 points, followed by Hamilton in a comfortable fourth with 69 points. Russell is in fifth with 50 points, edging Sainz, Jr. with 48 points and Leclerc with 42 points.
2023 Monaco Grand Prix Top 10 Finishers
1] Max Verstappen Red Bull
2] Fernando Alonso Aston Martin
3] Esteban Ocon Alpine
4] Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
5] George Russell Mercedes
6] Charles Leclerc Ferrari
7] Pierre Gasly Alpine
8] Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari
9] Lando Norris McLaren
10] Oscar Piastri McLaren
