Max Verstappen wins rain-soaked, action-packed Monaco Grand Prix

Just... WOW! What a qualifying session! It was edge-of-the-seat action, but Verstappen took pole position at the very end. Alonso will start second, with home hero Leclerc in third.

Simply superb!

Max Verstappen claimed pole for the Monaco Grand Prix with Fernando Alonso keeping the Red Bull world champion company on the front row after qualifying on Saturday.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will start Sunday's race on the second row alongside the Alpine of Esteban Ocon.

"You have to go all out and risk it all," said Verstappen.

"I knew I was behind, I'm very happy to be on pole for the first time here."

The session was red-flagged when Sergio Perez smashed his Red Bull into a wall leaving last year's winner at the rear of the grid. With overtaking at a premium on the narrow twisting streets of the Principality Perez's misfortune could prove costly for his title challenge with the Mexican 14 points adrift of Verstappen going into this sixth race of the season.

Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari posted the fifth fastest time to occupy the third row with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton. Ocon's Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly, George Russell of Mercedes, Alpha Tauri's Yuki Tsunoda and McLaren's Lando Norris completed the top 10.

- AFP

Ferrari's Leclerc stripped of third place in Monaco qualifying for blocking Norris.

It wasn't intentional and the race stewards acknowledge it as such, but a penalty for an impediment must be applied.

One of the big talking points going into the race is who will come out in first heading into Turn 1 when the lights go out. It's a short run, but Turn 1 is not afraid to take victims and turn the race on its head.

So we have to wonder: Will Alonso make the most of his chances, or can Verstappen get a decent start off the line - something which has been amiss throughout 2023.

A charging Spaniard and a flying Dutchman: What to expect in the Monaco GP

There are plenty of scenarios to take note of, including Verstappen vs Alonso, Ferrari up against the ropes, and Hamilton driving a car that's a "son of a gun."

Lap 1/78: Verstappen keeps the lead over Alonso, with Ocon and Sainz tucked in behind them. Interestingly, Alonso is on the Hard tyre versus Alonso's Medium.

The advantage of the Hards is that drivers can go deep into the race, but it leaves you at a performance disadvantage at the start of the race.

Lap 5/78: Verstappen's lead over Alonso is two seconds. If he manages this, it could bode well come the end of the race.

Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg received a five-second penalty for a pitlane infringement.

Lap 50/78: The rain is inching closer to the track, with some reports saying that it's only a few km away from the track.

This possibility of rain is letting teams hold out on pitting their drivers. However, this approach will favour Alonso on the Hards more than Verstappen on the Medium.

Max Verstappen won an action-packed Monaco Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver held the lead into  Turn 1 when the action for underway and never looked back.

With 30 laps remaining, drivers began reporting spots of rain, but it soon turned into a wet race. Fernando Alonso finished second for Aston Martin, with Esteban Ocon in third place for Alpine.

Top 10:

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, Ferrari

9. Lando Norris, McLaren

10. Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Verstappen leads from start to finish to win Monaco GP

Max Verstappen led all the way from pole position to the chequered flag to win the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday and increase his lead in the Formula 1 driver standings.

Despite brushes with the track walls, the Dutch Red Bull driver finished comfortably ahead of Spanish veteran Fernando Alonso in an Aston Martin with Frenchman Esteban Ocon third for Alpine."Clipped the walls a few times," said Verstappen. "It was super-difficult out there, but that's Monaco.

"Super nice to win it and super nice to win it the way we did today with the weather everything and stay calm and bring it home."

Verstappen's closest challenger in the standings, teammate Sergio Perez started at the back of the grid after crashing in qualifying and finished outside the points.

In a race enlivened by frequent contact between cars and also a brief rain shower, the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, despite a five-second penalty, were fourth and fifth, with Monaco native Charles Leclerc sixth for Ferrari.

"Max drove super well," said Alonso, who started on the front row. "We didn't have any chance."

- AFP