Max Verstappen fended off a mid-race downpour – and multiple kisses with the barriers – to take victory in the Monaco Grand Prix, but the wet stuff wasn’t so kind to others. Here are our picks for this week’s edition of Winners and Losers...
Winner: Max Verstappen
Verstappen delivered one of the all-time great performances in qualifying, finding three tenths of a second in Monte Carlo’s short final sector to take a stunning pole position.
The double world champion then controlled the race with aplomb, running a set of mediums far longer than he expected to and then dancing his way through slippery conditions to take his fourth win in six races.
READ MORE: ‘It’s super nice to win like this’ – Verstappen explains how he survived rain and more en route to Monaco victory
He is yet to finish lower than second in a Grand Prix in 2023, with his Monaco win a 39th for him in a Red Bull, setting a new team record. He also led the 2000th lap of his career – the seventh driver in F1 history to do that – and extended his championship lead to 39 points.
Loser: Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez had it all to do in the Grand Prix after crashing in qualifying, and the team gave him a chance of rescuing something by pitting him after just one lap to take the hard tyre – a compound he intended to run until the end of the race.
However, he clumsily tried to pass Lance Stroll off-track and then lost the place anyway when he hit the Haas of Kevin Magnussen, damaging his front wing and forcing him into the pits.
READ MORE: ‘We knew this was the price we were going to pay’ says Perez after quali crash results in P16 finish in Monaco
When the rain came, he clattered the wall hard and though he survived, crossed the line a miserable 16th – having visited the pits five times in total – to damage his title chances.
Winner: Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso narrowly missed out on pole position and while he failed to launch a sustained attack on Verstappen for the win – not helped by Aston Martin’s decision to send him out on slicks on a wet track, only to pit again to take inters when it proved the wrong decision – second is still a very strong result for the Spaniard.
It's his best result since he finished in that position in the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix and his fifth Monaco podium, the last one coming way back in 2012.
At 41, he is the oldest driver to finish on the Monaco podium since Jack Brabham in 1970, and his fifth podium of the season moves him to just 12 points behind Perez in the drivers’ standings.
READ MORE: Alonso says he ‘didn’t have a chance’ to take Monaco GP win as he praises Verstappen for driving ‘super well’
Loser: Lance Stroll
This was a weekend to forget for Lance Stroll, who was knocked out in Q2 and started 14th while his team mate Alonso came within a whisker of taking pole on pure pace.
The race started badly when he had collisions on the opening lap and said brake issues meant he couldn’t stop the car when the rain came, causing him to bounce around the barriers at the hairpin and Portier corner.
He reckons he hit the wall five times in total and ultimately retired the car. That’s the third time he’s failed to score this year and the Canadian trails team mate Alonso by 66 points after six rounds.
Winner: Esteban Ocon
This was a superb weekend for Esteban Ocon, the Frenchman pulling a sensational lap out of nowhere to qualify fourth – which became third on the grid courtesy of Charles Leclerc’s penalty.
The Alpine racer then kept a cool head throughout the Grand Prix, surviving a hit by Carlos Sainz and switching to intermediates at the right time when the rain came.
READ MORE Delighted Ocon ‘on a cloud’ as Alpine claim first podium since 2021 in Monaco
It was his third podium, after one in Bahrain 2020 and his win in Hungary 2021, to help him move up to ninth in the drivers’ standings. He also became the first Frenchman to finish on the podium in Monaco since Olivier Panis won the 1996 edition of the race.
Losers: Ferrari
Ferrari arrived in Monaco hoping they could challenge for victory and through practice, both cars – particularly Carlos Sainz – showed the kind of pace to suggest that they could follow through on that dream.
But neither driver delivered in qualifying and that left both Sainz and home hero Charles Leclerc with it all to do on Sunday. Leclerc could only manage sixth – where he started having picked up a three-place grid penalty for baulking Lando Norris – while Sainz delivered his worst result in Monaco since 2018.
READ MORE: ‘The pace was there’ says ‘frustrated’ Sainz after P8 finish in Monaco
The red cars have managed just one podium in six races and languish in fourth in the constructors’ championship on 90 points, 29 adrift of Mercedes.
Winners: Mercedes
Mercedes’ long-awaited upgrade package – which is setting the tone for a new development direction – broke cover in Monaco, and while this is not the ideal circuit to evaluate the new parts, there were hints that they have made a step forward.
Lewis Hamilton’s P4 was his best result in Monaco in this decade so far and his second-best finish of the season after a podium in Australia.
READ MORE: 'I'm kicking myself to be honest' – Russell left frustrated after 'small mistake' costs him Monaco podium
His team mate George Russell reckoned a podium was on the cards had he not made a mistake that sent him down an escape road in the rain. But fifth gave Mercedes a haul that leaves them just one point behind Aston Martin in the constructors'.
Losers: Haas
Haas’ disappointing performance in qualifying – where both Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen were bumped out in Q1 – meant points on Sunday were very unlikely.
And so it transpired, with Hulkenberg picking up a time penalty for causing a collision and a team gamble to put the cars on wet tyres – rather than intermediates – not working.
The American team left the track empty-handed for the third time in six races in 2023 – but Hulkenberg is hopeful their struggles were Monaco-specific and that a bounce-back in Spain is possible.
READ MORE: What the teams said - Race day in Monaco
Winners: McLaren
McLaren have built one of their worst cars in years, but they are focused on damage limitation for now while they await their next upgrade package – set to arrive at July’s British Grand Prix.
Lando Norris led home team mate Oscar Piastri as the team secured the final two points-paying positions in ninth and 10th in what was only the team’s second double top-10 of the season.
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2023 Monaco Grand Prix: Both McLarens pass Tsunoda as the AlphaTauri racer drops out of the points
This was the third time in a row Norris has scored points in Monaco while Piastri’s 10th place was his second score of the year.
Loser: Yuki Tsunoda
Yuki Tsunoda has been driving at a very high level all year – and looked set for his third points finish of 2023 after a strong qualifying that left him ninth on the grid.
The Japanese driver told me after the race that he had been managing his brakes all weekend – but the issue became difficult to handle when the rain came.
HIGHLIGHTS: Relive the action from a gripping race in Monaco as Verstappen dominates to take victory
The AlphaTauri driver slid out of the points as a result and limped across the line 15th, three places behind team mate Nyck de Vries in what was his worst finish of the season.
FAQs
5 Winners and 5 Losers from the Monaco Grand Prix – Who mastered the streets of Monte Carlo? | Formula 1®? ›
Max Verstappen fended off a mid-race downpour – and multiple kisses with the barriers – to take victory in the Monaco Grand Prix, but the wet stuff wasn't so kind to others.
Who won the Monte Carlo Grand Prix today? ›Max Verstappen fended off a mid-race downpour – and multiple kisses with the barriers – to take victory in the Monaco Grand Prix, but the wet stuff wasn't so kind to others.
Who won the Monaco Grand Prix the most? ›No Formula 1 driver has ever managed to secure more Monaco GP victories than Ayrton Senna, who has celebrated success in this circuit as many as six times in 10 races.
Who was on the podium at the Monaco Grand Prix? ›2023 Monaco Grand Prix: Celebrate Max Verstappen's victory in Monte Carlo with 'champagne cam' Watch the 'champagne cam' as Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates his win in the Monaco Grand Prix, with Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso also on the podium.
Which celebrities was on Monaco Grand Prix? ›Celebrities, including Tom Holland and Kylie Minogue, arrived at the scene in droves. Catherine Zeta-Jones and her husband, Michael Douglas, were also spotted at the event.
Who won Monaco 23? ›Red Bull's Max Verstappen won the Monaco Grand Prix, the sixth round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship, in a race shaken up by a mid-race downpour.
Did Jackie Stewart win the Monaco Grand Prix? ›Like Moss before him, Jackie Stewart also won the Monaco Grand Prix three times, but neither of his wins in 1966 or 1973 were as dominant as his victory in the 1971 race.
Who has the fastest lap in Monaco f1 history? ›Who holds the record for fastest lap at Monaco Grand Prix? British driver Lewis Hamilton holds the record for fastest lap recorded at the Monaco Grand Prix with a 1:12.909 lap time back in 2021 with Mercedes.
Who has the longest Grand Prix winning streak? ›Sebastian Vettel holds the record for the most consecutive wins, having won nine Grands Prix in a row from the 2013 Belgian Grand Prix to the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Who won Monaco Grand Prix 6 times? ›This year's race is the 69th edition in championship history and 80th since the first grand prix in the principality in 1929. There have been 36 different winners. The late triple world champion Ayrton Senna holds the record for most Monaco wins -- six, including five in a row with McLaren between 1989 and 1993.
Who did Gordon Ramsay take to the Grand Prix? ›
Gordon Ramsay had a great Father's Day in Montreal with his daughter at Grand Prix. Gordon Ramsay's love of Formula 1 brought him to Montreal over the weekend for the Canadian Grand Prix. The celebrity chef was front and centre with daughter Holly to take in the big Sunday race, which happened to fall on Father's Day.
Which F1 drivers from Monaco? ›| Drivers | Active Years | Entries |
|---|---|---|
| André Testut | 1958–1959 | 2 (0 starts) |
| Olivier Beretta | 1994 | 10 (9 starts) |
| Robert Doornbos | 2005* | 8 |
| Charles Leclerc | 2018–2023 | 110 (109 starts) |
Max Verstappen – £72m
Verstappen is currently signed to Red Bull having signed a spectacular contract in early 2022, and the longest on the F1 grid, keeping him with Red Bull until 2028. His net worth is estimated at a cool £72 million – not bad for a 25-year-old!
So, take a look at the special coverage that the Ayrton Senna website has prepared for you, to show how, year by year, the Brazilian built to this amazing record, which lead the international press to give him the title of “King of Monaco”.
What celebrities are at the Monaco F1 event in 2023? ›Celebrities, including Tom Holland and Kylie Minogue, arrived at the scene in droves. Catherine Zeta-Jones and her husband, Michael Douglas, were also spotted at the event.
Who is a famous person in Monaco? ›1. Prince Rainier of Monaco. Born the sole heir to the throne of the nation of Monaco, Prince Rainier lived his life by duty. The son of Charlotte Grimaldi, the illegitimate daughter of Monaco's Prince Louis, Rainier was the aging Monarch's only grandson and was therefore invested as his heir.
Who won the Grand Prix today 2023? ›2023 Canadian Grand Prix race report and highlights: Verstappen wins Canadian GP to claim Red Bull's 100th victory and equal Senna's tally.
How many times did Senna win Monaco? ›Senna won the Monaco Grand Prix six times during his career, including 1991. Senna won the 1993 European Grand Prix in changing conditions, achieving the biggest victory margin of his career.
Who is the oldest F1 driver still alive? ›Jackie Stewart is the oldest surviving Grand Prix winner and one of only two drivers still alive who won a Grand Prix in the 1960s. Grand Prix racing legend Tony Brooks passed away in May 2022 at the age of 90.
Who is the oldest Formula 1 driver still driving? ›The oldest driver on the F1 grid is Fernando Alonso, with the Spaniard starting the season aged 41. His birthday falls on 29 July, meaning he will be 42 by the time the 2023 Formula 1 season finishes. Alonso returned to the grid with Alpine in 2021 after being away from F1 for two years.
Who was the last American to win a Grand Prix? ›
Another 56 American drivers competed in F1 races other than the Indy 500. As of 2023, the most recent American race winner remains Mario Andretti, who won the 1978 Dutch Grand Prix.
How fast do F1 cars go? ›The modern F1 car can reach speeds of roughly 220mph on average when bombing down long straights. The fastest speed ever recorded in a race was from Valtteri Bottas's Mercedes in the 2016 Mexican Grand Prix when he reached a startling 231mph, though certain conditions have to be met for that to happen.
How long is an F1 race? ›Grand Prix races usually last approximately 90 minutes and must not exceed two hours in length, but the time can vary given the average speed per lap differs across the 23 venues on the season's calendar. If two hours is reached and the race has failed to complete, it will be ended at the end of the next full lap.
Can you walk the Monaco Grand Prix circuit? ›The F1 cars hit the track at 10:00, so be there for that! At the end of the day, it's definitely a good idea to stay around and explore the streets. The track is open from 19:30 and you can walk around and explore.
Who holds the F1 record for most races without a win? ›Topping the list of drivers with most F1 races without a win is Andrea de Cesaris, an Italian driver who took part in a staggering 208 races between 1980 and 1994.
Which F1 drivers have won 5 races in a row? ›| 2= | Alberto Ascari | 7 |
| 2= | Nico Rosberg | 7 |
| 2= | Michael Schumacher | 7 |
| 5 | Michael Schumacher | 6 |
| 6= | Jack Brabham | 5 |
- First race: 2007 Australian Grand Prix.
- World Championships: 7 (2008, 2014-15, 2017-20)
- Number of races: 318.
- Number of wins: 103.
- Number of pole positions: 103.
- Career points: 4507.5.
The fewest number of cars to finish an F1 race was three during the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix.
What is the biggest Formula 1 race? ›The British Grand Prix and Italian Grand Prix are the most frequently held events in the Formula One World Championship with 73 editions each since the races first formed a part of the series in 1950, followed by the Monaco Grand Prix which has been held 69 times, all on the same course, the Circuit de Monaco.
Who is the only person to make Gordon Ramsay cry? ›White also once made a young Gordon Ramsay cry while Ramsay worked for him, and later said, "I don't recall what he'd done wrong but I yelled at him and he lost it. Gordon crouched down in the corner of the kitchen, buried his head in his hands and started sobbing."
Who was Gordon Ramsay trained by? ›
After earning a vocational diploma in hotel management from North Oxon Technical College in 1987, he moved to London and began honing his culinary skills under chef Marco Pierre White at the restaurant Harvey's and under chef Albert Roux at La Gavroche.
What team does Gordon Ramsay support? ›Gordon Ramsay
The chef even had a trial with Rangers when he was 15. In his autobiography, Ramsay stated that he'd played a number of non-league matches as a trialist for Rangers.
To avoid getting overhydrated, they use long twisted straws to stream fluid into their mouth. Notably, an F1 driver is likely to be dehydrated post race, making it necessary for them to rehydrate as quickly as possible.
Why do F1 drivers get weighed? ›Why do drivers get weighed after a race? Drivers are weighed after the race for two reasons - one is to measure how much weight a driver has lost during the race, and the other is to ensure that the driver and car still meet the minimum weight limit.
Why do F1 drivers train their neck? ›To be able to withstand such heavy and constant stresses, and to counterbalance the enormous g forces for more than 1.30h of racing, Formula 1 drivers must train their necks to make them stronger and more ready.
How much does an F1 car cost? ›Attaching a definitive price tag on an F1 car is extremely difficult, however, according to Red Bull, each car is estimated to cost around $12-16 million USD. For the 2023 season, teams are permitted to spend a maximum of $135 million (£109m) on materials and activities related to car performance.
Who is richer Hamilton or Verstappen? ›The Spaniard is on fire for Aston Martin this season and will retire as one of the greatest drivers the sport has ever seen. But first, with a net worth of almost £200m more than Verstappen, is Hamilton, despite his woes at Mercedes in the last two years.
How to become a F1 driver? ›- Be over 18 years old.
- Be an international class competition licence holder.
- Possess a valid driver's licence in your country of origin.
- Pass an FIA theory test on Formula 1 sporting regulations.
- Complete 80% of two seasons in qualifying single-seater championships.
Ayrton Senna: Master of Monaco.
Who was the winner of the first Monaco Grand Prix? ›Race Details and Track Configuration
The first Monaco Grand Prix took place in 1929 on the Circuit de Monaco , with William Grover-Williams emerging as the winner in a Bugatti.
Is Monaco very expensive? ›
Monaco can definitely be expensive to visit, but it's likely not nearly as bad as you think. Compared to places in Eastern Europe such as Zagreb, Budapest, and Krakow, Monaco is definitely more expensive to visit. You'll likely pay 5-10x more for certain goods and services.
What celebs are at Monaco F1? ›- Tom Holland. Tom Holland and Neymar pose for a photo prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 28, 2023. ...
- Orlando Bloom. ...
- Kylie Minogue. ...
- Michael Douglas. ...
- Dame Shirley Bassey. ...
- James Marsden. ...
- Maria Sharapova. ...
- Neymar.
The 2023 F1 grid is finally settled. We've said goodbye to Sebastian Vettel, Mick Schumacher and Daniel Ricciardo, but welcome Logan Sargeant and Oscar Piastri as rookies and Nico Hülkenberg returns after two seasons away.
Has F1 raced at Monaco every year? ›The Monaco Grand Prix (French: Grand Prix de Monaco) is a Formula One motor racing event held annually on the Circuit de Monaco, in late May or early June.
Do billionaires live in Monaco? ›Thirty-two per cent of the principality's population of 39,000 are millionaires, nearly 3,000 are multimillionaires, and at least half a dozen billionaires call Monaco home.
Who is the famous woman from Monaco? ›Charlene (French: Charlène [ʃaʁlɛn]; born Charlene Lynette Wittstock, 25 January 1978) is a former Olympic swimmer and the Princess of Monaco as the wife and consort of Albert II, the reigning Prince of Monaco and head of the House of Grimaldi.
Where do celebrities go in Monaco? ›Though Monaco is only the second smallest country in the world, it's also the country with the highest GDP per capita, making the Fairmont Monte Carlo the premier destination to live in the land of milk and honey. It's easy to see why celebrities flock to the property.
Who won Monaco Indy 500 and Le Mans? ›Briton Graham Hill is, for now, the only winner of the Triple Crown. Hill won the Monaco Grand Prix five times (1963, 1964, 1965, 1968 and 1969). In 1966, he won the Indianapolis 500 and in 1972, together with Henri Pescarolo, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
What happened in Monaco Grand Prix? ›Max Verstappen kept Red Bull's 2023 winning record intact by overcoming a rain shower – and the chaos that ensued – in the closing stages of the Monaco Grand Prix, leading home Aston Martin rival Fernando Alonso and the Alpine of Esteban Ocon.
Is Carlos Sainz a Grand Prix winner? ›At the 2022 British Grand Prix, Sainz took his maiden Formula One pole position and career win.
How much does Max Verstappen make? ›
Graham Hill, the only man to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport, believed the F1 part of the equation was the World Championship not the Monaco Grand Prix. Funner Fact. Graham Hill would still be the only driver to have completed the Triple Crown, regardless.
Who is the only driver to win F1 & Indy 500? ›Graham Hill is the only driver in history to achieve the Triple Crown of Motorsport, which includes winning the Monaco Grand Prix (F1), the Indianapolis 500 (IndyCar), and the 24 Hours of Le Mans (endurance racing). He won the Indy 500 in 1966, solidifying his reputation as one of the greatest all-around drivers.
Has anyone won F1 and IndyCar? ›Rodger Ward (1959, 1962)
A leading figure on the US racing scene throughout that decade was two-time USAC Champion Rodger Ward, who made 10 of his 12 F1 appearances at the famous Brickyard, winning the Indy 500 for the first time in 1959 before adding another to his name in 1962.
Sergio Perez was left furious with himself after crashing out of Monaco GP Qualifying, lamenting he could not believe what he had done, and facing an "impossible" task in Sunday's race.
Why is Monaco F1 so special? ›The Monaco Grand Prix is unique in that it is held on a street circuit, meaning that the track is made up of public roads that are closed off for the race. The circuit is one of the most challenging on the Formula 1 calendar, with tight corners, elevation changes, and very little room for error.
Is Schumacher still racing? ›What is Mick Schumacher doing in 2023? Schumacher is Mercedes' reserve driver for the current F1 season. He is travelling with the team on most race weekends and is on hand to replace either George Russell or Lewis Hamilton if required.
Who is the youngest F1 driver right now? ›The youngest driver on the F1 grid is Oscar Piastri. The McLaren youngster is one of only three current F1 drivers born in the 2000s, having been born on 6 April 2001, so he is currently 21 years old, and will have turned 22 by the end of the 2023 season.
Did Sainz beat Verstappen? ›2022 Canadian Grand Prix report & highlights: Verstappen survives late Safety Car to beat Sainz to Canadian GP victory | Formula 1®
How much is Lewis Hamilton paid? ›Do F1 drivers get a bonus for winning? ›
Formula 1 distributes its money to the constructors, rather than individual drivers. That means drivers don't actually receive any prize money because they are paid salaries by their teams.