Monaco Grand Prix: Max Verstappen wins rain-affected race, Ocon on the podium

The F1 was out in Monaco this Sunday, a historic circuit famous for its narrow streets, making overtaking very difficult. Obtaining the pole position is therefore a much bigger advantage here than on other tracks in the calendar. Max Verstappen earned this honor, but all eyes were on his direct pursuer, Fernando Alonso, optimistic and hungry to secure his 33rd victory in F1.

At the start, the Dutchman remains calm for a clean exit, just like the rest of the grid that seems to be playing it safe. But in the second sector, Nico Hülkenberg’s Haas collides with Logan Sargeant’s Williams, which earns him a gain of 4 positions. However, the German will receive a 5-second penalty for this incident. In the meantime, Lance Stroll reports a puncture and already heads into the pit lane, along with Sergio Pérez (who started last), Hülkenberg, and Zhou.

In the front, no change in position to note in the first few laps, and Verstappen is already flying nearly two seconds ahead of Alonso in the 5th lap. The gap is also widening between the Spaniard and his former teammate Esteban Ocon, the surprise of Saturday’s qualifying. We pass the 10-lap mark and the other Spanish driver on the grid, Carlos Sainz, decides to step up his game to overtake Ocon. But as he dangerously closes in, the Ferrari driver miscalculates and clips his front wing on the rear of the Alpine. He loses a piece of his wing and the Ferrari mechanics anticipate a pit stop, but Sainz decides to stay on track. It would be a very bad move for him to make a stop at this stage, considering he could dream of a podium. He will receive a black and white flag as a warning for his collision. But Gasly informs his team that a piece of carbon is hanging from the Spanish driver’s car.

Verstappen overtakes Pérez

On his side, Alonso reports a puncture on his rear tire, but it only seems to be an illusion. At the back, Logan Sargeant is struggling: Magnussen’s Haas overtakes him at Mirabeau, followed by Stroll and Perez, while the American driver seems almost stationary.

Many drivers complain of graining, notably Alonso and Sainz, who are indicating to their team that tire degradation is more significant than expected. This issue also affects Verstappen’s left front tire, which is so outstanding that it goes unnoticed during the race.

We are slowly approaching the middle of the race and the drivers seem to be picking up the pace, in anticipation of the announced potential rain. Leclerc is given the order to push to the maximum to catch up with his teammate, now that Hamilton has made a pit stop and has cleared the way for him. Speaking of pit stops, Alpine had a very poor stop on Ocon’s car. Meanwhile, Pérez (16th) complains that Stroll pushed him at the same time Verstappen was lapping him. It’s worth noting that the Mexican later collided with Magnussen’s Haas, losing a piece of his wing and having to make a pit stop. The Canadian is also having a tough time and will also collide with Magnussen later on.

Quite rare enough to be highlighted, Carlos Sainz gets upset on the radio against his team, blaming them for a poor strategy. He is told that the plan was to prevent Hamilton from overtaking, but the Spaniard remains furious, stuck in 7th position between Ocon and the Mercedes driver. The same order as at the start, but he had started in 4th place.

The rain is finally falling and sowing chaos

At lap 51, the long-awaited rain starts to fall at turn 3, announces the day’s meteorologist George Russell. All the teams are on the lookout for drops. The British driver adds that the rain is intensifying. The first cars are stuck in a pocket, with Verstappen complaining about having to drive at a reduced speed due to the condition of his tires. Carlos Sainz tries to gain the upper hand over Ocon, but the Frenchman doesn’t give in. Some parts of the track are starting to become very slippery, while others remain dry.

It’s too much for Alonso, who finally goes to the pit lane to put on the mediums. Russell, Ocon, and Hamilton also stop and put on the intermediates, considering the intensifying rain. Meanwhile, Sainz slides and hits the safety barriers. He goes to the pit lane, followed by Verstappen. The Dutchman puts on the intermediates, just like Alonso, who finally goes back to change his medium tires, which are too slippery for this now wet track. Everyone is now on intermediates, except Magnussen, who still has hard tires. He pays the price for it, as he slides just before the entrance to the pit lane. Haas takes advantage of this to change his front wing, in an endless stop. It is worth noting that Lance Stroll had to retire after sliding into the wall. The same goes for Sargeant, who slides but manages to escape without any damage.

George Russell receives a 5-second penalty for dangerously merging onto the track at the exit of the pits. The Dane will have to reverse again after sliding into the run-off area. The race is slowly turning into chaos, as Perez collides with Russell’s Mercedes, miraculously escaping with minimal damage. The Mexican also hits the wall, littering the track with debris. His teammate, on the other hand, seems to be spared by misfortune, leading the race by nearly 20 seconds ahead of Alonso. The Haas team is suffering from bad luck, with Hülkenberg receiving a 10-second penalty for incorrectly serving his previous penalty.

The rain stopped towards the end of the race, but the track remains very wet, characteristic of Monaco. This is evidenced by Max Verstappen’s mistake 7 laps before the end, when he hit the wall. The Dutchman continues his way but asks his team to check the tire pressures. An incident that will have no consequences, as he will be the first to cross the finish line, ahead of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon, in the same order as at the start, therefore. A great achievement for the Alpine driver, his last podium dating back to the Hungarian Grand Prix 2021.

The ranking of the Monaco Grand Prix