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The glam, the history, the speed. Formula 1 is back in Monaco for one of the oldest Grands Prix in the sport. Everyone is expecting another domination by Red Bull by the tight and unforgiving streets of the Principality will surely provide some exciting and unexpected action. For the fifth consecutive race weekend, a Grand Prix is held on a street circuit. The contract for the inclusion of the race in the world calendar, also at the Monte Carlo circuit , was renewed in September 2022 until the 2025 season. The Grand Prix does not feature sponsorship in its official name, as it is managed by the Automobile Club de Monaco. Present in the calendar of the Formula 1 World Championship since the inaugural edition of 1950 and valid as a race for the category since the same year, the Monaco Grand Prix sees the dispute of the eightieth edition, the sixty-ninth valid for the World Championship, in the traditional month of May. The first edition, not valid for the world championship, was held on 14 April 1929 under the impulse of local sports manager Antony Noghès, founder of the Automobile Club de Monaco. Together with the British, Swiss, Belgian, French and Italian Grands Prix, including an edition of the Indianapolis 500 valid for the World Championship, the Monegasque race is one of the races that characterized the calendar of the inaugural edition of the Formula 1 World Championship. The Monaco Grand Prix was not held in the 1951 season, not held due to budget problems and lack of regulations in the category, in 1953 and 1954, not held as the car regulations were not finalized in Formula 1, and in the 2020 season due to the problems dictated by the COVID-19 pandemic and for the preparation of the city track in a short time. For this Grand Prix, Pirelli, the sole tire supplier, chooses from C3, C4 and C5 compound tyres, the type of softer compound that characterizes the entire range made available by the tire supplier for the championship, for the second time this season after what happened in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Since the 2019 edition of the Grand Prix, Pirelli has always established the same type of tires for this event, given the characteristics of the street circuit which does not involve high tire degradation. The same compounds had been designated for the previous Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, a race canceled due to the exceptional bad weather that hit the region before the race weekend. The Italian brand, sole tire supplier, is introducing a new conspicuous wet compound from this appointment, following complaints from the riders and teams, making it more performing, without the need for the use of tyrewarmers. Before the third free practice session on Saturday, the race direction announces that, in light of the weather conditions, the additional set of intermediate tires is not made available for each driver before the start of qualifying. The German team Mercedes present the new headquarters campus in Brackley. The project includes an investment plan of 70 million pounds, which consists of the creation of a completely pedestrian environment and the construction of marketing buildings, to which are added other structures that will house leisure activities and restaurants. The new site, powered entirely by renewable energy from external sources, will be completed in 2025. Furthermore, the team communicate the goal to be achieved together with their partner Petronas regarding carbon emissions, i.e. a reduction of the latter by over 60% equal to 200 tons of carbon dioxide saved. The British manufacturer McLaren runs with a celebratory livery to pay homage to the victories achieved between 1974 and 1995 in the Indianapolis 500, the Monaco Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an award known as the Triple Crown, as part of the celebrations for the sixty years of the Woking-based team. The special livery will also be used in the following Spanish Grand Prix. Toto Wolff expresses his closeness to the Italian people and comments on the Monaco appointment as the first European race:
"Following the cancellation of the race in Imola, our thoughts are still with the people of the Emilia-Romagna region that have been affected by the terrible flooding. We have been saddened by the images but inspired by the rescue work of the emergency services and the resilience shown by the communities. We look forward to returning to Imola in happier circumstances next year. The revised calendar means that Monaco is now the starting point of the European leg of the season. It is a unique event but will still provide an opportunity to learn about the upgrades to W14 - but we also need to be careful not to draw too many conclusions from this one event. We are introducing the first step in a new development direction. It won't be a silver bullet; from my experience, they do not exist in our sport. We hope that en gives the drivers a more stable and predictable platformer. Then we can build on that in the weeks and months ahead. F1 is tough competition and a meritocracy. We are not where we want to be but there's no sense of entitlement. It's just about hard work to get us to the front".
Fernando Alonso, who this year fights for the top positions in the standings, declares:
"It's a bit of a home race for me in Monaco, so it's a short commute to the track! It's good to be back racing after the Grand Prix cancellation last weekend, but we hope everyone is safe in Italy and in the end it was the correct decision to not race that weekend. Monaco is a race we always look forward to as Formula One drivers. It's such a thrill to race around these streets, there is nothing quite like it. We are curious to see how the car performs on a low-speed circuit such as this. Making sure we nail the car setup and getting into a rhythm early will be important. As overtaking is so difficult in Monaco, grid position is also going to be pivotal to the result on Sunday. If we can have a strong Saturday, that will set us up nicely for another good result this weekend".
In Red Bull Racing, the number one in the ranking Max Verstappen declares:
"I am excited to get back to racing this week. Not racing in Imola was the right decision and I know it was not taken lightly but some things are obviously more important than racing and this was one of those occasions. Looking ahead to Monaco, qualifying is so important there so we need to make sure we are as strong as we can be in that session. The circuit in Monaco is super tight, even more than other street circuits. So, nailing a quali lap here is extremely difficult but at the same time very exciting. The race is usually heavily dependent on the strategy as overtaking is almost impossible. And of course, I live in Monaco so it's nice to go home every evening during the Grand Prix weekend".
Teammate Sergio Perez concludes:
"My thoughts have been with everyone who has been effected by the floods in Italy. Sometimes racing is n't important and the safety of everyone becomes the priority. We 've had a weekend off, which means I feel very well rested coming into Monaco week. This is the race every driver wants to win growing up and I was lucky enough to achieve that last season. That has only made me more hungry to stand on the top step once again. The weather could be tricky again here, which means we have to maximize every moment we get in the car. It 's important we get our set up right and qualifying goes well to have any chance of winning on Sunday. I am massively looking forward to getting back onto this track, it 's a fun drive".
In the last two editions of the Monaco GP, the second step of the podium was occupied by the Spanish Carlos Sainz Jr., who declared in this regard:
"I always have a good feeling in Monaco. For the past two years, I 've finished second, so it 's just a case of going one better.In previous seasons, the team has always been strong here and now I want to get in the cockpit to see if that will also be the case with the SF-23. Of course, another team has to be favorite, but this season, we have always been pretty competitive on Saturdays .I definitely would have liked to race in Imola, but unfortunately, canceling the race was the only option given the level of devastation in Romagna With news of the cancellation coming on Wednesday, in Maranello, we immediately started preparing for this weekend, where the smallest detail can make the difference. It was just a bump. I took some painkillers and I ‘m absolutely ready to get in the car. The only way I’d miss this race is if I was run over by a truck".
Although seen as a home race by many of the drivers on the track, the only Monegasque on the grid, Charles Leclerc, declares himself extremely happy to go back to racing at his home grand prix:
"Obviously I'm very happy to be here. The team is ready to do its best because we want to do well in front of the fans, mine and Ferrari's, of which there are many here. The key will be prepared well for qualifying and the race and what happens tomorrow will be very important in that regard. Here in Munich it's important to do a lot of laps: it's like a kart track with one corner after another and you have to build your confidence to get close to the level of perfection needed to put together a lap that's good enough for pole position. Without a doubt, every year this track produces the most exciting qualifying of the season. In the past, Saturday has usually gone well. But as for Sunday, even if I don't really believe in good or bad luck, I feel I'm owed something on the good side. I hope we can do what it takes to put that right this weekend".
Still in Ferrari, Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal of the Maranello stable, declares:
“We go racing again, this time on Charles' home turf in Monte-Carlo. It will therefore be a special and particularly exciting weekend for him and indeed for all of us. Together with Charles and Carlos we have prepared this weekend in detail in order to make the most of every opportunity this tricky track could provide. Both our drivers love it - Charles has been on pole for the past two years and Carlos has always finished on the podium in Monaco since he joined the Scuderia Ferrari - and we will be giving our all to deliver a good result for our fans".
On Friday, under the shining sun of the French riviera, Carlos Sainz is the first driver to be closest to the limit. The Spaniard sets the fastest lap in FP1 with a time of 1'13"372, despite clipping (harmlessly) the guard-rail at the swimming pool chicane. However, Sainz is not as lucky in FP2, where he repeats the exact same mistake but hits the barrier harder, heading straight up to the wall and damaging the front-right suspension. He manages to finish third nonetheless:
"In general, I think the day was positive. We were fast in both sessions and the car feels okay on track. There are still a couple of things I want to try tomorrow on the set-up to try and improve, but overall we are quite competitive. Obviously, it was not ideal to finish the session in that way, after a small miscalculation trying to find the limit. Sorry to the team and the mechanics for the extra work".
According to Sainz Jr., the feeling with the car is good, and his opinion is corroborated by the good performance. Despite showing a matching speed to his teammate, Charles Leclerc is not as satisfied. The Monegasque, who is wearing special red-and-white overalls for his home race, is convinced that the team needs to improve the set-up to be competitive. The balance issues are highlighted by a series of small mistakes, like a lock-up at the tunnel exit and a cut of the second swimming pool chicane, due to an unstable rear-end of the Ferrari SF-23. However, Leclerc manages to improve from P5 to P2 from one practice session to another:
"It was a bit of a difficult day as the car is not doing exactly what it is supposed to do. So we need to take a good look at the set-up on my car and then work on it to ensure I have the right feeling with it tomorrow. Here it’s all about qualifying, so we didn’t do any race runs, just focusing on preparing for qualifying in the best way possible".
Of course, Monaco would not be Monaco without some accidents. The tight streets of the Principality are full of pitfalls ready to catch off-guard even the most cautious driver. The first big shunt on Friday involves Alex Albon, who loses the rear of his car at Sainte-Devote and hits the wall on the left, right at the exit of the corner, causing heavy damage to his Williams. The second red flag is brought out by Nico Hülkenberg, who clips the barrier at the chicane du port: the result is a left rear puncture, some minor damage and debris that has to be cleared out by the marshals, forcing the stewards to interrupt the session. Turn 1 catches Magnussen off-guard too, as the Dane runs wide in the small square before the church, which serves as a run-off area.
Apart from some inevitable traffic, the session ends smoothly and produces the following classification: Sainz, Alonso, Hamilton, Pérez, Leclerc, Verstappen, Norris, Ocon, Stroll, Albon, Bottas, Magnussen, Tsunoda, Gasly, Russell, De Vries, Piastri, Sargeant, Zhou, Hülkenberg. Fernando Alonso claims P2 in a wonderful session for him, showing the real capabilities of the Aston Martin AMR23. The Spaniard is in fine form and sees the Monaco Grand Prix as a great opportunity to clinch his highly anticipated victory number 33. Alonso confirms the good sensations of FP1 by finishing P4 in FP2 and putting himself on the list of the most serious contenders of the race:
"We completed enough laps today and we were able to get a good understanding of our car here around Monaco. It was important to find a rhythm early this weekend and avoid any issues. In both sessions the car felt good and it's easy to drive which helps at this circuit. There are going to be lots of ups and downs for everybody this year, so we have to be ready to deliver every weekend. Some race weekends we will be quicker than our rivals and others it might be different, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow's qualifying session".
Both drivers are given an extra boost for the weekend after the announcement of a partnership between Aston Martin and Honda (supplying the power units) starting from 2026, which will surely provide some interesting action after the scheduled change in the technical regulations regarding the engines. The currently Honda-engined team who is dominating the championship is actually finding some more difficulties than expected in Monte-Carlo. Especially Max Verstappen is unhappy with the balance of the car in FP1, urging his team to make drastic changes if they do not want him to end up in the wall. Evidence can be found in the several cuts that Verstappen makes when he has to drive through a chicane. And the team seem to deliver: the RB19 behaves significantly better in FP2, allowing the defending world champion to post the fastest time (1'12"462):
"I think FP1 was quite tricky today, I wasn’t happy with the ride of the car but FP2 was much better, the car was a lot more competitive. Compared to Ferrari, I think the handling is still lacking on the curbs and the drops in camber. We need to work on that ahead of tomorrow because you can see that they are still very close, we’ll need more for qualifying tomorrow to stay ahead of them. I felt more confident in FP2 to push a bit more, we had a difficult start but a good end. I’m looking forward to qualifying tomorrow, let’s see what we can do".
2022 winner Sergio Pérez encounters similar issues and ends his Friday in P7, far from where he would like to be. However, the Mexican remains optimistic and thinks the team is heading in the right direction to fix his car:
"It wasn’t a great day today in terms of pace in the car, I think FP1 went a little bit better than FP2. After the changes we made in the car we have plenty of things to review before tomorrow’s quali. I will sit down with my Team and go through everything because every millisecond here is going to make a difference. They are just little things, nothing huge is standing out at the moment, so I am not massively worried. It’s going to be a real challenge heading into qualifying, it’ll be an interesting session. We need to make sure we get on top of the tyres and put them in the window at the right time to get the perfect lap around here".
Pérez is one of the drivers who has to deal with traffic the most on Friday, as he holds up Alonso at the Casino in FP1 and then is allegedly slowed down by Bottas and Sargeant at Massenet. However, the two drivers appear to be outside the ideal racing line: their presence must be more of a distraction for Pérez, who is involved in a jam some minutes later: Hülkenberg has to squeeze through between him and Sainz, who are going slowly in the section before Tobac’s corner. Other close calls include Sainz being blocked by his teammate in the swimming pool section and Russell cutting the chicane du port to avoid a slower Alonso. Despite all the action, the only accident recorded is Tsunoda’s: the Japanese driver clips the barrier at chicane du port, possibly lightly damaging his AlphaTauri.
At the end of FP2 the classification appears as follows: Verstappen, Leclerc (just 0.065s behind), Sainz Jr. (the first three drivers being enclosed in a tenth), Alonso, Norris, Hamilton, Pérez, Bottas, Gasly, Ocon, Stroll, Russell, Zhou, Magnussen, Hulkenberg, Tsunoda, De Vries, Piastri, Albon, and Sargeant. Despite being an unusual circuit to bring updates to the car, Monaco sees the debut of Mercedes’ new sidepods. The Brackley-based team has abandoned the no-sidepod philosophy, which has proven quite unproductive, and has opted for a more conventional design, which will hopefully benefit both drivers. Lewis Hamilton approves, but obviously more work has to be done. The British legend, like others, makes some mistakes (like cutting the chicane du port) and feels some more can be extracted from the car to be closer to the ones in front:
"I've had an amazing day and I really enjoyed driving out there. I want to send a big thank you to everyone at the factories. To build, design and develop a car is not an easy thing. Everyone's put in so many hours of hard work to get us here. We got a lot of data today; it's not a place to ultimately test an upgrade but the car was generally feeling good. It's a shame we weren't as close as I'd hoped at the end of the last session, but I felt some improvements. We've got to keep chipping away at it and see if we can squeeze some more juice out of the car".
George Russell is encountering more problems than his teammate. The young Brit is unhappy with his break set-up in FP1 but seems to find better pace in FP2, finishing P12:
"Monaco is such a unique track so it's not an ideal place to be evaluating updates, but we knew that coming into the weekend. We're just trying to focus on improving around this circuit and qualifying is obviously the most important part of the weekend. We generally do better on Sundays and struggle more on Saturday, so we need to try and flip that here. There were positive signs to take from today's sessions but it's never easy around this place. We made a lot of changes throughout the day, and the car felt improved in FP2. We'll work hard tonight to see what we can do tomorrow".
On Saturday, May 27, 2023, is time for the last session of Free Practice before getting really serious with the qualifying for the seventh race of the season at 4:00 p.m.. One of the most important qualifying of the seasons, as the position on the grid accounts largely for the chances to win tomorrow’s race. Weather is good. 24 °C is the air temperature and track temperature are 49 °C. Max Verstappen confirms himself again in the Saturday morning session. Despite a track that is slower than on Friday, the world champion finishes under one minute and thirteen seconds. The strong performance of Red Bull Racing is confirmed by the second-fastest time for Sergio Pérez, who is less than a tenth of a second behind his teammate. Lance Stroll moves up to third place, managing to complete two quick laps in sequence, ahead of Sainz Jr., Lando Norris, who is struggling with back pain, and Pierre Gasly. On the other Ferrari, Leclerc shows some rear-end bouncing, while Esteban Ocon, Gasly's teammate, is dealing with technical issues, which also slow him down during a fast lap. The session is neutralized with the virtual safety car eight minutes from the end after Magnussen's Haas stops due to a technical problem at the lower Mirabeau, before being interrupted definitively with a red flag when Lewis Hamilton, a few minutes from the end, loses control of his Mercedes at the upper Mirabeau and crashes into the barriers. A few hours later, Yuki Tsunoda is the first driver to hit the track; his time is improved by Ocon, before Max Verstappen arrives and sets the limit at 1'13"784. Right behind, Red Bull Racing's other driver, Pérez, positions himself. Leclerc climbs up behind the Mexican, while the two Mercedes drivers are delayed. Fernando Alonso is the last driver to set a valid time, securing third place. Less than a tenth behind the Spaniard is Lance Stroll. The track improves visibly, with Zhou Guanyu, then Norris, and Oscar Piastri moving up to second place. The session is interrupted by a red flag with just over eleven minutes remaining after Sergio Pérez crashes heavily into the barriers at Sainte Devote. When the session resumes, the track continues to allow drivers to improve their times: Alexander Albon sets the best time (1'13"327), only to be beaten by Verstappen, who clocks 1'13"038.
Russell intersperses between the two, as does Nyck de Vries. Alonso is the first to break the 1'13"0 barrier, leading Ocon by 0.133 seconds. Behind the Frenchman is his fellow countryman Gasly. Verstappen improves again, regaining the top spot with 1'12"644. Russell climbs to fourth, while Stroll improves and moves up to third. Shortly after, the Canadian's time is beaten by Leclerc. Tsunoda takes the lead, and Norris moves up to third. Sainz Jr. finds himself in the elimination zone. The world champion Verstappen, after touching the wall on the last corner, moves back to the top with a time of 1'12"386. Albon, in the meantime, moves up to third place. Sainz Jr. manages to climb to fourth, while Lewis Hamilton is in seventh. The first phase ends with the elimination of Sargeant, Magnussen, Hülkenberg, Zhou, and Pérez. The session is very tight, with only seven and a half tenths separating Verstappen's time (first) from Sargeant's time (the first eliminated). In Q2, Verstappen is immediately the first to hit the track, finishing the lap in 1'12"038; the two Ferraris are two and three tenths behind the Dutchman's time. Gasly moves up to second, 0.131 seconds behind Verstappen, ahead of Alonso at 0.184 seconds. The Alpine speed is confirmed by Ocon's fourth-best time. Hamilton is in ninth. The Mercedes drivers seem unable to find the limit with their cars. Alonso improves again, moving to within 0.069 seconds of Verstappen. Stroll, the other Aston Martin driver, is only thirteenth. Tsunoda ruins his first attempt in Q2. Verstappen improves further, setting a new best time of 1'11"908. With seven minutes left in the session, the gap between the twelve drivers is just one second. Russell moves up to third, while Lewis Hamilton is stuck in tenth.
Leclerc moves into a safe zone, now second. Tsunoda secures the seventh best time, but with only a tenth's margin over the elimination zone. Norris returns to the pits after touching the right-side barriers in the Piscine section. Meanwhile, Stroll is under investigation for skipping the weight check of his car. Sainz Jr. improves to sixth, and Hamilton moves up to fifth. Piastri, De Vries, Albon, Stroll, and Bottas are eliminated. In Q3, Verstappen is again the first to hit the track, waiting almost three minutes in the pit lane before the lights allow the drivers to start the session. The Red Bull Racing driver completes the lap in 1'12"102. Ocon finishes two tenths behind, before Alonso takes provisional pole with a time of 1'11"706. Leclerc is only 0"053 behind the Aston Martin driver, while Sainz Jr. is just 0.029 seconds slower than his teammate. George Russell, after setting the ninth-best time on his first attempt, moves up to fourth. Verstappen regains the top spot with a time of 1'11"654, despite not setting the best sector times. Hamilton grabs third, before Esteban Ocon beats the world champion's time (1'11"553). Pole position quickly changes hands: first, Leclerc sets 1'11"471, with Carlos Sainz Jr. just two tenths behind his teammate, then Alonso sets 1'11"449. The Spaniard's time seems unbeatable for Verstappen, who is over two tenths behind after two sectors. However, with a very fast final sector, the Dutchman grabs the top spot, ultimately taking pole by just 84 milliseconds, completing a lap where he brushed the barriers on the main straight. The World Champion secures his twenty-third career pole position, his third of the season, his first since the Australian Grand Prix, and his first ever at the Monte Carlo circuit.
"Oh my god what times".
Says Max.
"What a third sector, unbelievable. Good done mate".
Says Christian Horner. Max Verstappen jumps out of his car and then gets ready to his interview. Max is overall satisfied with today’s results, taking into consideration the whole weekend:
"We knew it was going to be a bit of a struggle this weekend, but everything came together in the end. Yesterday wasn’t the best start but I think we kept on improving and getting better. My final lap today wasn’t ideal, I gave it everything I had and risked it all in the third sector, as I knew I was behind. I clipped a few barriers but I’m happy to be on pole here for the first time. Tomorrow we need a clean start, it’s a short run to turn one and in Monaco a lot of things can happen. Race pace wise the car is quick so hopefully we can have a positive day".
Sergio Perez feels really disappointed:
"I am really disappointed with myself today. It was going well; I was happy with the balance and in Q1 naturally you are progressing and finding new limits. Going into the corner I just lost the rear end quite late, which caught me out and I had nowhere to go, I could not cut the corner or get out of the corner. Unfortunately, that meant I ended up touching the wall and I cannot believe what I have done. This mistake is too difficult to digest right now, I don’t know what to say, I am just sorry for my Team, they don’t deserve this. We will assess the car and see how the damage is, then we can make some decisions ahead of the race. We would have been in the mix for sure today, so it is doubly disappointing, it was a big opportunity for us. It’s a big hit in the Championship for me and I have probably lost a lot of points. If it’s a normal race it will be hard to do anything tomorrow, I have a fast car but it’s nearly impossible to pass here with these wide cars, it is going to be tricky to make progress, but we will try everything".
Fernando Alonso is pleased with today’s results:
"We have to be happy with this result. This year, we've tended to perform better on Sundays - but starting from the first row in Monaco is a really positive achievement. Job done today. It was a great final run, but when the team told me I was in P1, I already knew there was a chance I'd get bumped to second. I pushed the limits to uncomfortable levels - I risked a lot today. Our pace in the final sector is a bit of a weak spot, so we need to take a look at that for future races. Tomorrow, I'm aiming to finish the race and take the maximum possible points. If it's a straightforward afternoon, we'll hopefully finish on the podium; any more opportunities and we'll be there to take them".
Charles Leclerc explains today was a bit tricky and he had some difficulties with his car:
"It was a very tricky qualifying on a weekend where I have struggled quite a lot with the car. I think our SF-23 is not handling the bumps so well but in qualifying it was a bit more alive and we managed to secure P3, very close to the pole position time. A qualifying lap here is like nowhere else on the calendar and it feels really good to drive. So all in all I can be happy but I would of course have preferred to be first. For tomorrow, I need a bit more luck than in the past years here. The forecast says there is a chance of rain and if that is the case anything is possible. I will go for it anyway and then we will see where we end up".
Carlos Sainz Jr. is not happy with today’s result:
"Honestly, I’m not happy with how things ended in Q3. Having to pass three slow cars during the last push lap is far from ideal especially when things were so tight. I’m disappointed because the weekend had been quite positive up to this point. Anyway, we still have a chance to do well in the race tomorrow, so we’ll aim to use our good pace and the strategy to try and make up some places".
Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari’s Team Principal, finds today was frustrating since Leclerc was just at one tenth of a second off pole and two hundredths off the front row:
"Of course, it’s a bit frustrating to find yourself P3 just one tenth of a second off pole and two hundredths off the front row. Today it was quite difficult to give the drivers a car they were comfortable with, which at Monaco is always key, since being quick on this track is a matter of having the right feeling with the car, avoiding the walls and gradually picking up the pace over the weekend. We were able to improve the car after FP3 for qualifying and in the end the result is not that bad as we are the only team with two cars in the top five".
So he adds:
"That means we can look at how we can play with the strategy with our two drivers to move up the order in the race, given that it’s almost impossible to overtake. Now we will look at the data and prepare for tomorrow, bearing in mind that the weather could also play its part".
Lewis Hamilton is satisfied particularly with today’s final lap, since the team has some difficulties throughout the weekend:
"The car was feeling good throughout yesterday, particularly in FP1. We then worked overnight and made some changes after FP3 to refine the set-up. It improved the car in the middle of the lap, but it wasn't good in the first and last sectors. It was tough today therefore and difficult to progress from Q1 and Q2, but we just managed it. Given that, I was happy with my final lap, and I think that's as good as we could have managed. I'm also hopeful that the set-up we have will work well for the race. I love being on this circuit and the challenge is immense. It's very difficult to overtake but we'll work as a team to make sure we're prepared to capitalise on any opportunities that present themselves tomorrow. I'm grateful for where we are, and I'll keep pushing".
George Russell finds that they did not achieve the right car balance today:
"We were often strong in sector one but from there, the lap just went away from us. We also seemed to struggle more as Qualifying progressed. In Q3, that was more down to my part as I didn't get it together. Naturally we're disappointed as there were moments where we looked quick, but I think the maximum wasn't much more than what we got today. It's going to be a long Grand Prix tomorrow. Monaco is a unique circuit and historically as a team, it's not always suited our car or been our best race. We also know you're likely to finish where you start, but we will be doing everything we can to move forward".
Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ Team Principal & CEO, explains that P6 and P8 is not ideal in Monaco as it is difficult to overtake on this circuit:
"We know starting sixth and eighth for tomorrow's race makes it a challenging Grand Prix for us. Overtaking is notoriously difficult here, but we will be doing everything we can to move forward. Despite our starting positions, we can be motivated by the size of the gap to the front. If you had told me ahead of the weekend that we would be three tenths off pole position, I would have taken it. We also didn't execute our final laps in Qualifying as well as we could have so there was possibly a little more lap time to be found. After FP3, we went slightly more aggressive on the set-up. If we had been more conservative, we may have found a better balance with the car. Nevertheless, we're hopeful those changes will stand us in good stead for tomorrow. It's been a big team effort to get our update to track. The hard work and dedication of everyone at Brackley and Brixworth is inspiring and we're looking forward to racing it tomorrow".
After qualifying, the stewards drop a communication which sees Leclerc fall from third on the grid to sixth position for his home race, after having impeded Norris in Q3. Everyone is however looking at the front row, with Verstappen and Alonso ready to fight for the first position, after the Aston Martin driver declared on Saturday that his Red Bull rival’s starts so far this season had been inconsistent. On Sunday, May 28, 2023, at 3.00 p.m. everyone is ready on track: Verstappen, Ocon, Hamilton, Tsunoda and Norris the top 10 runners opt for the medium compound, while Alonso, Sainz, Leclerc, Gasly and Russell are on hards. The rest of the grid is split between mediums and hards, with Zhou the only driver to go with softs, hoping to make up ground from the P19. Lights out and Verstappen slips away and maintains his advantage over Alonso into the first corner, with Ocon holding third from Sainz, Hamilton, Leclerc, Gasly, Russell, Tsunoda and Norris.
In the back, Hulkenberg locks up under braking for Mirabeau, while Stroll is caught between Albon and the right-hand side barrier at the hairpin and loses some carbon fibre. After a contact, Hulkenberg and Zhou pit for hard tyres, and the same does Perez, trying a one-stop strategy. Stewards immediately give Hulkenberg a five-second time penalty for a move on Sargeant, while they note also a potential incorrect starting position for Russell, but decide to not take any further action for it. At the front, Verstappen is still in the lead with a two-second detachment from Alonso on lap 10, while Ocon is 10 seconds behind the Spaniard, followed by Sainz, Hamilton and Leclerc. At this point, another incident occurs: Sainz hits the rear of Ocon’s car exiting the tunnel and leaves him with a damaged front-left which seems loose. Alonso complains on the radio as he slipped five seconds away from leader Verstappen, but the Aston Martin pit wall reassures him that all looks well in the data, and there is no need to pit for a new set of tyres. At the same moment, the Ferrari mechanics place themselves in the pit lane with a new front wing, but Sainz stays out on track between Ocon and Hamilton, with the stewards showing him a black and white flag as a warning for the incident. In the midfield, Magnussen cleares Sargeant into Mirabeau, before Stroll goes past the Williams driver on the inside of La Rascasse and Perez also passes ahead at the exit. This is a bad moment for Williams, as Sargeant loses other places to Hulkenberg and Zhou, and Albon falls behind Bottas, so the Grove team pit both drivers. However, they have to box Sargeant immediately again for softs thanks to a puncture. Norris is told that rain could arrive on lap 35, as clouds begin to fill the sky. Verstappen on the radio reports that his front-left:
"Really isn’t pretty".
And expresses concerns about some drivers at the back he has been fast approaching, including team mate Perez. Hamilton pits on lap 32, swapping his mediums for a set of hards, and Ocon does the same one lap later, while Stroll and Perez bang wheels at the Nouvelle Chicane as they squabble for position after giving way to Verstappen. Even Sainz pits, for mediums, and emerges between Ocon and Hamilton; this gives him frustration over Ferrari’s strategy and he complains on the radio:
"Exactly what I talked about".
The leader Verstappen has to fight with more traffic and tyre troubles, so tells Red Bull to consider their strategic options, but the answer is clear as his engineer says:
"If we pit now, we fall behind Fernando".
because the Spanish driver is on hard tyres. Perez’s statery fails due to his incident with Stroll, which makes him pita gain for a new front wing. On lap 40, Verstappen’s advantage over Alonso is up to almost 10 seconds, with Leclerc, Gasly and Russell also stretching out their first stints as the teams talk on the radio about the approaching rain. A few laps later, the reigning world champion says:
"I don’t see how long I can keep this up".
While Leclerc and Gasly swap their starting hards for mediums, leaving Verstappen, Alonso and Russell as the only front-runners yet to pit.
“Maybe drops of rain around Turn 6 to Turn 8”.
The Red Bull team say to Verstappen, while Russell reports that it is indeed:
"Spitting at Turn 3".
Before:
"Raining more and more".
The middle sector of the track seems now particularly slippery, so Bottas and Stroll pit for intermediates, but the remaining cars stay out on slicks. On lap 54, Alonso comes into the pits and, rather than switching to intermediates, he goes from hards to mediums, a decision that make him lose him some positions as the rain intensifies and starts to cover the entire circuit. A flurry of pit lane activity follows as most drivers go in to take the intermediates. Verstappen tags the wall at Portier while going to the pit lane but manages to make it around and emerge with his lead intact. After the stops, the Dutchman leads Alonso by more than 15 seconds, with Ocon third ahead of Mercedes pair Hamilton and Russell, Leclerc in sixth, Gasly seventh, Sainz eighth, Tsunoda ninth and Norris rounding out the top 10 positions. Magnussen, the only driver to stay out on slicks, hits the barriers at La Rascasse, followed by another off-track excursion at Sainte Devote despite pitting to put on the full wet rubber, which Hulkenberg and Perez also swap to. Russell is given a five-second penalty for rejoining the track in an unsafe manner: he took to the run-off at Mirabeau, backed out and then banged wheels with Perez as he resumed, losing spots he had gained over Ocon and Hamilton. Stroll loses his front wing at the exit of the hairpin, so is forced to retire, while Perez tags the wall at the exit from the Swimming Pool. While the conditions start to get better, Verstappen continues to keep the lead, brushing away a question from his engineer about the conditions being:
"Anything other than inter".
And building up his margin to almost 30 seconds by the chequered flag. It is a great victory for the championship leader, who is now 39 points clear of Perez in the drivers’ standings, as his team mate has been unable to climb higher than 16th after starting from the back. Great result for Ocon, who gets the final podium spot for Alpine, followed by Mercedes pair Hamilton and Russell. Gasly is between the Ferraris in seventh, with Sainz, Norris and Piastri completing the points. The two McLarens overtake Tsunoda in the final laps before the AlphaTauri man runs off the road at Mirabeau. Bottas crosses the line in 11th, followed by De Vries, team mate Zhou, Albon and Tsunoda, while Perez is 16th. Hulkenberg finishes in P17 when his second time penalty takes effect, with team mate Magnussen and Stroll the only DNF of the day. Verstappen built his lead immediately after the start and was still on his first set of tyres when the rain arrived, so easily swapped to the inters and ran straight to the victory:
"It’s super nice to win here again in Monaco! It was actually quite a difficult race, we were on the medium to begin with and Fernando on the hard compound, so we didn’t want the first stint to be that long but we had to stay out. The rain also made it quite complicated, we made the call for inters, the first few laps on them were incredibly slippery. I clipped the walls a few times again, but that’s Monaco! When you are that far in the lead, you don’t want to push that hard but also you don’t want to loose too much time. We managed to stay calm and bring it home and we scored a good amount of points for the Team. I of course will celebrate this evening with my friends and family but tomorrow we focus on Spain".
Worse day for Perez, who pitted on the first lap for hards hoping to go to the end.
But he crashed with Stroll and needed another stop for a new nose. After this, he swapped for inters early, so then had to change to to full wets and then to inters again:
"It was the worst weekend I can remember in a while; everything went wrong and today we paid the price for a poor mistake from myself in qualifying. I am really sad about the performance, not just today but the whole weekend. I knew yesterday would be extremely costly and ultimately it was 25 points. The conditions were tricky out there and there was some hope that when it started raining we could get things right but we didn’t, it was a shame. I don’t think there was much we could have done differently; all the damage was done yesterday. I only want to move on from this race because it was a terrible weekend. I still have hope in the Championship but I know I cannot afford another zero in a race, so I really hope I can be back to my normal level in Barcelona. I need to be perfect in the next few races, I need to get victories and get them soon. I am happy we are racing in a few days".
Christian Horner, Red Bull’s CEO and Team Principal, is satisfied with this magical victory and is sure of Checo’s future recovery:
"Winning here is special, it always means just that little bit more, every driver wants this one on their CV. And for us it’s our third in a row for the Team and our seventh in total here in Monaco. We knew coming into this weekend that this would be our biggest challenge of the season so far and Monaco threw everything at Max today. He managed the medium tyre and then the changing conditions well, made the switch to the intermediate tyre and saw it home. Another fantastic drive. Unfortunately, it was a difficult weekend for Checo. Despite his best efforts, there was very little he could do after yesterday's qualifying. Knowing Checo though, he will learn from his mistakes and respond quickly in Spain. What we are seeing here at track though is just the shop window to everything that is happening on a daily basis back at the factory. The win here today is representative of the performance and dedication by the Team as an overall on a wider scale. A brilliant win with many lessons but one we will certainly savour".
Another podium for Fernando Alonso, despite the strategy who made him probably lose the victory:
"I'm really happy with this result. The race was not easy - and the rain made it difficult for everybody, and very risky strategically. I don't think the extra stop (first Mediums, then Intermediates) affected the result. It's always hard to read the race fully from the cockpit, but on the lap I stopped, the track was completely dry apart from Turns Seven and Eight - so why fit Inters, especially when it felt like a small shower and we had plenty of margin behind us? So it was the right decision, and extra safe: but a minute and a half later it was a completely different situation! There was no chance to win today - wet or dry, but we raced aggressively and tried to win it. We were hoping Max would suffer greater degradation on the Mediums, but he did 50 laps at an amazing pace. But we're getting closer - let's not forget that. Now to Spain".
Great result for Esteban Ocon! The Frenchman started third due to Leclerc’s penalty and managed to mantain the place for all the race:
"What a feeling. I'm so happy for the team for this amazing achievement of finishing third on this fantastic circuit and legendary event in Monaco. Thanks to the entire team both at Viry and Enstone and here at the track for what we have achieved together. Everyone has been working so hard and this result is for them. This must serve as motivation to keep progressing as a team and keep updating the car throughout this season. We have another race next weekend in Barcelona and that has to remain our focus to deliver another good result. For now, it's a great feeling and the team and I will enjoy the celebrations".
Hamilton is satisfied and congratulates the team for all the work done:
"I'm really happy with today's result. We moved forwards in the race and that's not an easy task here in Monaco. Coming into the weekend, I didn't know where we would stand. To come out with fourth and fifth is great points for the Team. I want to say a huge thank you to everyone back at the factories for pushing and bringing these upgrades. It's been so much work to bring those here. We managed to keep it in one piece today and brought it home. It was difficult to know here in Monaco how the upgrades were performing. There's lots of bumps and the car feels very stiff so it's tricky. Barcelona, though, is probably the best test circuit we could ask for in order to learn more about our package. I'm looking forward to seeing how the car reacts".
Russell was handed a five-place grid penalty for returning to the track unsafely after pitting, but that didn’t cost him a place:
"I'm very disappointed with myself. After the pit stop, I was ahead of Lewis and Esteban (Ocon) and I made a mistake, completely by myself. What's even worse is that I wasn't even pushing. I touched the brake and locked up; that's cost the team a podium. One third of the track was extremely wet, another part was quite dry. If you touch the white line when it's wet, it's like ice. But ultimately, it's the same conditions for everyone. We cannot judge the upgrades from this circuit. Barcelona will be the first real examination of it and it will be exciting to see how we perform. No matter what happens in Spain though, it will be interesting to learn and move forward from there".
Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ Team Principal & CEO, admits that the team worked well and looks forward to the next race:
"This was a solid result and good points for the team after a race where it would have been easy to make mistakes or move backwards through the field. The strategists called it exactly right today in terms of switching to the intermediate tyres, and that's what jumped us ahead of Ferrari to get P4 and P5. Lewis stayed cool throughout the race - even when his medium tyres went off in the opening stint, we were able to protect position and then take advantage of the rain. George shouldn't be too hard on himself, either - he drove a nice first stint to have the opportunity to capitalise on the rain and then the conditions were just so tricky to drive, that a small mistake cost him quite dear. But this was an afternoon where the team worked well, and our drivers showed their quality, too, and that shows in the points scored. We brought a big package to this race, and it has performed well. We have seen some positives in Monaco, which we know is not a representative circuit, and it will be next week in Barcelona when we get a more precise idea of competitiveness. We don't want to get ahead ourselves, and I think we're all looking forward to learning more about the car, and to seeing if we've made a step in performance against our immediate competitors".
Charles Leclerc, on his home race, talks about his strategy:
"We were on the backfoot from the moment we got the penalty yesterday. When it started to rain we could have gone onto the Inters early, but we decided not to as there were still a lot of cars on slicks and so we decided to wait in the hope of a Safety Car which 90% of the time you would expect here in those conditions. Of course, with the benefit of hindsight, you might take a different decision but at the time it seemed like a good opportunity to make up a lot of places. I have no regrets about the decisions we made regarding our strategy. It is what it is, but it’s really the grid penalty that worked against us. In the second stint, it was all about keeping the car on track and bringing it to the finish. There are still a lot of races left this season and we have several updates coming which I hope will let us get closer to the Red Bulls".
Carlos Sainz Jr. collided with Esteban Ocon during the early stages, damaging his end-plate. He continued to race, but with a lack of downforce; then a half-spun dropped him behind his team mate:
"It was an eventful race in Monaco today. The final result is not what I was aiming for because I had good pace with every compound and P8 is frustrating. Pit stops were key today but they were all difficult calls, especially the change to Inter tyres, as the rain picked up very quickly and the spin with the slicks obviously made me lose some positions. I leave Monaco with a bitter taste, but next up is my home race and we need to keep focused".
Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari’s Team Principal, lookks forward to the next races as the team will try some updates on the car:
"In the first stint of our race the pace was okay: Carlos tried to push a couple of times to get ahead of Ocon who was slow in front of him, allowing Verstappen and Alonso to get away at the front. Then when the rain came, we were P5 and P7 and we decided to take a risk and try for P3. The conditions were very difficult to manage because the rain turned out to be worse than forecast, so you cannot really blame Carlos for the mistake, but we need to look at why our pace was not so strong in the wet. Looking at the weekend as a whole, our qualifying pace was good and we have to aim to repeat that next week in Barcelona. The field is so tight you have to put everything together and the slightest mistake is costly. We will have some updates on the car which should be a step forward in terms of performance, so let’s wait and see what we can do in Spain".
Max Verstappen wins his fourth Grand Prix of the season and, taking advantage of Sergio Perez's slowdown, stretches his lead in the World Drivers' Championship standings. After six Grands Prix, all won by Red Bull Racing, it is quite evident that the Anglo-Austrian team can not only win the World Championship, but also dominate it. Aston Martin also confirms itself in a slow circuit like Monte-Carlo, and now it is called to a feat in Spain. Fernando Alonso managed to put pressure on Max Verstappen, but there is still something missing in terms of performance to be able to pass the Dutch driver and hope to win a Grand Prix. Scuderia Ferrari, on the other hand, confirms its tire management problems. And at the moment there is no telling when the Maranello team can get out of this difficult moment. Alpine rises again, after a period of tarnishing. Laurent Rossi had recently given the team a real shake-up, and indeed the response was outstanding, as Esteban Ocon managed to take third place. After Monaco, the F1 paddock will head to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Spanish Grand Prix, which is scheduled to run from June 2-4, 2023.