Verstappen dominates wet Monaco GP to extend championship lead

Fernando Alonso finished second for Aston Martin on Sunday

Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates after winning the Monaco Grand Prix. Reuters

Double world champion Max Verstappen dominated a rain-affected Monaco Grand Prix from start to finish on Sunday to extend his championship lead to 39 points and earn Red Bull a sixth win in as many races this season.

The race was livened up by rain after a processional 51 laps in dry conditions. And despite brushes with the track walls, the Dutch Red Bull driver finished comfortably ahead of his rivals.

Spaniard Fernando Alonso finished second for Aston Martin but a massive 27.9 seconds behind at the chequered flag.

Frenchman Esteban Ocon completed the podium in third place for Renault-owned Alpine with Mercedes' seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton fourth and taking a bonus point for fastest lap.

Alonso's podium was his 103rd in F1, while Ocon grabbed his third.

“It was a super weekend from everyone at the team," Ocon said. “I hope this is the first of many."

The win was Verstappen's fourth of the season, second in Monaco and 39th of his career. Mexican teammate Sergio Perez, his closest title rival, started in last position after a qualifying crash and finished two laps down in 16th.

• 

  Red Bull driver Max Verstappen battles the rain during the Monaco GP on Sunday, May 28, 2023. Getty

• 

  Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton drives in the rain during the Monaco GP. AFP

• 

  Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc during the rain-affected Monaco Grand Prix. AFP

• 

  Max Verstappen en route to victory in Monaco on Sunday. Getty

• 

  Williams driver Alexander Albon in Monaco on Sunday. AP

• 

  Apline driver Esteban Ocon finished on the podium in Monaco. Getty

• 

  Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in action during the race. Reuters

• 

  Max Verstappen at the Circuit de Monaco. Getty

A dreary race burst into life on lap 51 as it started spitting at Casino Square, through Mirabeau and on the entry into the tunnel.

Verstappen held a 10-second lead over Alonso but, despite the rain, Aston Martin hauled the Spaniard in for his first stop of the day and elected to send him out on the dry rubber.

However, the spots of rain became heavier and Verstappen – now on 52-lap old slick tyres – had to go back to the pits.

The Dutchman briefly lost control of his Red Bull on the entry to the tunnel, grazing the wall, before safely making it back to the pits to bolt on the intermediate tyres.

Aston Martin's call to send Alonso out on the dry tyres afforded Verstappen some much-needed breathing space.

"That was a real Monaco," Verstappen said after a 78-lap race that lasted an hour and 48 minutes.

"It was incredibly slippery and when you are that far in the lead you don't want to push too hard but also you don't want to lose too much time so it's quite difficult in that scenario.

"I clipped the wall a few times and it was super difficult out there. But that's Monaco."

Alonso initially pitted for medium tyres and then had to come in again for intermediates, losing a possible chance to take the lead.

"We thought to play a long game with the strategy but Max drove super well on the medium tyres and extended that first stint. We didn't have any chance and then at the end the rain put things a bit complicated out there," said Alonso.

"It was not easy and I was surprised there were no safety cars from incidents, I think everyone was doing an amazing job today to keep the cars on track."

The rain resulted in chaos in Monte Carlo. Mercedes' George Russell was hit with a five-second penalty after he ran off the road, and rejoined in front of Perez, causing the two men to make contact.

Lance Stroll hit the barriers twice and Haas' calamitous decision to keep Kevin Magnussen on slick tyres backfired as the Dane crunched the wall at Rascasse.