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There was no great surprise at Sunday’s 80th Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco, won by two-time reigning World Champion Max Verstappen from pole position, despite a few drops of rain at the end of the race.
The rain did not disturb the Red Bull team, which has yet to concede anything to its rivals this year, taking six wins from six races, including four one-twos. Verstappen started on medium tires, kept them on for as long as possible and then switched directly to a set of intermediate tires when the rain started over certain portions of the street circuit, around lap 50 (of 78).
“I knew it was going to be a race where management would be important, when I saw that Fernando was starting on hard tires. And I also knew that my first stint on medium tires was likely to last a long time. When it started raining, I spent five laps being very careful with my intermediate tires, I didn’t want to drive too slowly to keep the temperature in my tires, it was very slippery, then I changed some settings on my steering wheel and it was better”.
Alonso, who started on hard tires, made two stops in a row, instead of one. First he changed to medium tires, thinking that the rain wouldn’t last, then he immediately changed strategy, putting on intermediate tires on the following lap, to finish the race without risking a big mistake. Enough for the Spaniard to claim a 5th podium in 6 races, and one further proof that Aston Martin is becoming a top team.
Verstappen never gave him the slightest chance of turning the race around, either on the track or in the pits. It was his 4th victory this season, in six Grands Prix, and the 39th of his F1 career. He had already won in 2021 in the Principality, the year of his first world title.
“I’m very happy,” said Alonso at the press conference, delighted with this 2nd place, which testifies to the British team’s progress. “We had already finished 3rd, and now we’re 2nd, so we’re just one place behind,” added the two-time world champion. “We had to find a different strategy, to try and beat Red Bull, with the risk of finishing 5th or 6th. But we weren’t fast enough in the race, so we couldn’t beat them today”.
The only big surprise of the afternoon was in fact the spotless performance of Esteban Ocon, who finished on the 3rd step of the podium thanks to a very efficient and reliable Alpine, in tricky conditions. A result that nobody could have predicted last Thursday, on the eve of the first free practice session.
“If we’d been told on Thursday that we’d finish in the Top 10 on Sunday, we’d have been very happy. Now we’re on the podium. We’ll find out next Sunday in Barcelona, on a very different circuit, whether this is a turning point in our season. But I felt good all weekend in the car, and it all came down to qualifying on Saturday. Today was harder. I had to hold off Carlos Sainz, then Lewis Hamilton. We often find ourselves fighting together in these conditions”.
Winner of the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2021, Ocon first had to fend off the onslaught of a very aggressive Carlos Sainz, who was then warned by the race direction for colliding with him at the exit of the tunnel, when braking too late at the harbor chicane. He then held off the two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell who complete the Top 5, ahead of Charles Leclerc (6th).
The Monegasque couldn’t do much better than his 6th place on the grid, three spots further than planned. Because of a late penalty on Saturday evening for impeding Lando Norris at the end of qualifying, in the tunnel.
His team-mate Carlos Sainz has all reason to be far more upset than Leclerc, as he finished 8th despite starting from 4th on the grid. His team made him stop too early, when his hard tires were still in very good condition. He was up against Ocon for a long time, was slowed down by Leclerc at one point, and at the end he had to stop again to change for intermediate tires because of the downpour. That was one stop too many.
It was an intense Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco, from the first free practice on Friday, and the sporting logic has once again prevailed. As in previous cycles of domination by Ferrari with Michael Schumacher, Red Bull with Sebastian Vettel, and Mercedes with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. The long and exciting Monaco Grand Prix series continues. This was only the 80th episode…
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) will start from pole position in Monaco at 3.00 pm on Sunday, for the first time in his already long career as a double World Champion. Next to him on the front row will be Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), whom he admired when he was younger. A dream duo for this 80thedition.
The gaps were minimal, the commitment total, by all 20 drivers, and there was plenty of suspense throughout qualifying, which began with a major crash: that of “Checo” Pérez at the start of Q1, in Sainte-Dévote. The Mexican ripped off the entire left-hand side of his Red Bull and will start Sunday from the back of the grid, although he is the defending champion. After the compulsory red flag, proceedings continued with more surprises: with one minute remaining in Q1, Yuki Tsunoda was P1 in his Alpha Tauri and Carlos Sainz P17 in the other Ferrari, potentially eliminated, before narrowly escaping.
Q2 was relatively calmer, except for Hamilton, who had to pull off a champion’s lap at the end to advance to Q3, with worn tires and a Mercedes he was struggling to control. The stage was set for a legendary Q3. On the grid: Verstappen’s Red Bull, Alonso’s Aston Martin, both Ferraris, both Mercedes and… both Alpines, Tsunoda’s Alpha Tauri and Norris’s McLaren.
Ocon, then Leclerc, then Alonso on provisional pole
The two-time Spanish World Champion, who has not claimed a pole position since the 2012 German GP with Ferrari, first posted a lap of 1:11.706, ahead of Sainz and Leclerc, Verstappen and the two Alpines, before the Dutchman took the lead by the skin of his teeth. The suspense was intact, as there were still a few minutes available.
The final fireworks began with an incredible 1:11.553 from Esteban Ocon (Alpine) to take provisional pole. This time was then beaten in turn by Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, and finally Max Verstappen, in 1:11.365, beating Alonso by 84 thousandths only, just over 8 hundredths of a second. The Red Bull driver was two tenths down on the Spaniard’s time as he exited the tunnel at the harbour chicane, then he took all the risks, touching the rail twice between the chicane and the finish line. Amazing effort for a sensational result, at the end of a legendary qualifying session.
Verstappen: “I hit a few walls”
“I knew I’d have a better chance if I came out of the pits last. I wasn’t totally confident in my tires at the start of my last attempt, but then I attacked as hard as I could, just like everyone else. I leaned on the walls a bit and it went through,” said Max, delighted with his first pole position in Monaco, at his 8th appearance, and already the 23rd of his F1 career. Then he had a kind word for “Nando”, sitting next to him in the press conference: “I admired Fernando when I was younger. He’s still a role model. But I will not let him win tomorrow”.
As is often the case, Alonso summed up the situation in a few sentences as precise as his driving on Saturday afternoon, at the age of 41: “Monaco really is a unique place and this afternoon we pushed the limits very far, significantly increasing the level of risk,” he smiled. “We might need a little help from Max. There’s very little chance that our three cars will finish the race,” he added, as a last warning. He knows that, in the history of Monaco Grand Prix, the second on the grid has won more often than the poleman, in the 79 previous editions.
Finally, Leclerc said he was “disappointed” by his third-place finish, but offered a technical explanation: “I couldn’t do any better this afternoon. I have a big problem on the bumps, the car jumps a lot and my head goes all over the place. I’m hoping for a dry race on Sunday, as rain hasn’t done me much good here in recent years”, concluded the Scuderia Ferrari driver.
Three hours later, Leclerc learnt that he would have to start three places further back on the grid for having impeded Norris during the hectic session. An incident that went completely unnoticed, except by the race direction. As a direct consequence, at 3.00 pm on Sunday, Leclerc will be on the 3rd row of the grid, in 6th place, and Esteban Ocon’s surprising Alpine will be in 3rd place. Just behind Verstappen.
Larry ten Voorde (GP Elite) will start from pole position on Sunday, as planned, for the Porsche Supercup race at the 80th Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco. As in free practice on Thursday, the Dutchman dominated the proceedings in a qualifying session interrupted twice in succession at the end by red flags. This was the case throughout Friday. The Automobile Club de Monaco’s track marshals, reputed to be the best in the world, had their work cut out for them.
Supercup champion in 2020 and 2021, and last year’s winner on the streets of the Principality, ten Voorde completed his best lap in 1:33.573, just ahead of two Walter Lechner Racing drivers, Britain’s Harry King and Denmark’s Bastian Buus.
The small disappointment of the day came from Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci, on the podium in 2021 and 2022, but only 5th in this somewhat hectic qualifying session, behind another Dutchman, Loek Hartog (4th), ten Voorde’s teammate at GP Elite.
The Supercup Porsches start their 31st season here in Monaco, following the cancellation of the Imola meeting last week. They will set off for 17 laps on Sunday at 11:55 a.m.
The first free practice session of the 80th Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco lived up to all its promises, with a great battle at the top of the timesheets, in front of a large and delighted audience.
Ferrari got the ball rolling with the two fastest times at the start of the session, thanks to Carlos Sainz and local hero Charles Leclerc. The relay was then taken, temporarily, by two multiple world champions, Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes). In the end, Sainz Jr regained the lead and held on to it, much to the delight of the numerous tifosi, under the benevolent gaze of his father, a two-time world rally champion.
Red Bull Racing, which has just racked up five wins and four 1-2s in five races (Verstappen 3 – Pérez 2), remained in the background, probably hiding its game in anticipation of Saturday’s eagerly-awaited qualifying session. Two-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen finished 6th in this first of three free practice sessions, behind team-mate Sergio Pérez (4th). The session was brought to a premature end five minutes too early following Alex Albon’s heavy touch at the exit of Sainte-Dévote.
The Thai driver lost the rear end of his Williams and tore off the entire left-hand side of his blue car, while in possession of the 10th provisional time – a very encouraging performance for the English team. The ACM stewards, as efficient as ever, evacuated the car within minutes. The team’s mechanics now had their work cut out before the next session, scheduled for 5:00 pm.
Both Ferrari drivers in the Top 5, Sainz and Leclerc (5th), and both F1 legends, Alonso (2nd) and Hamilton (3rd), showed that they were happy to be back on one of their favourite playing fields. We may have to reckon with them in qualifying on Saturday, especially if the Aston Martin performs as well as it has on previous circuits this season (4 podiums in 5 races) and if the Mercedes is more efficient with its brand new sidepods. Next F1 free practice session is scheduled from 5:00 pm.
This is already the 80th Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco, and the story is still the same: mistakes are forbidden on the streets of the Principality. The favourite doesn’t win every time, even if he starts from pole position. This means that Max Verstappen’s rivals can pin their hopes on an unlikely victory on Sunday, thanks to the weather or race incidents.
“Red Bull is faster than us,” summed up local hero and Scuderia Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc at Thursday’s press conference. And since Charles “doesn’t believe in luck“, he will be relying on himself first this weekend, starting with qualifying on Saturday. If, as in 2021 and 2022, he manages to set the fastest time, he will start from pole position and have a better chance of winning for the first time in Monaco, on these streets he’s known by heart since he was a child.
“I’ve got friends on every street corner, some of them watching me go by from their terraces,” Leclerc smiled on Thursday. “Saturdays here often go well, we just have to do better on Sundays,” he added. On Friday, to prepare well for “the best qualifying session of the year“, Leclerc will have to manage the two free practice sessions well. As for a renewal of his contract, or the possible arrival of a new team-mate in the Scuderia, Lewis Hamilton or another, “we’ll see later”, said the Monegasque.
Last year’s winner in Monaco, and already twice victorious in five races this year, Checo Pérez trails Max Verstappen in the overall standings by just 14 points. He is keen to keep the suspense alive: “Monaco is not the strongest circuit” for Red Bull”.
Alonso still eager to win
In the provisional championship standings, there are two very big names in 3rd and 4thplaces, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. The two absolute stars of F1, who have amassed nine world titles to their name, seemed very serene at Thursday’s press conference.
“I’d be lying if I said I don’t think I can win when I arrive at a race, especially if it’s on a specific track like Singapore or Monaco,” said the Spaniard, very satisfied with his start to the season: 4 podiums in five races, 75 points amassed, an unexpected result with Aston Martin, his new team.
“Nando” has not won in F1 since 2013, but he’s so enthusiastic that he still believes he could be around in 2026, when Aston Martin becomes powered by Honda engines, against the backdrop of new technical regulations. “I’ll be 44 years old,” he says, with a caveat: “I won’t be in F1 if I’m not as fresh, as fast, as sharp, as motivated as I am today. One day, I’ll wake up and I will raise my hand,” warned the two-time world champion.
Hamilton optimistic
Inseparable in victory and failure, Alonso and Hamilton are often battling it out this season for a place on the podium with the two Red Bull drivers. On Thursday, the Spaniard made a friendly jibe at the Englishman, whom some media are already sending to Ferrari next year: “Lewis always says that in a team, you win together and you lose together. So if he keeps losing, he has to stay with Mercedes…“.
The seven-time world champion is in the process of finalizing a contract renewal with the German team, and “there are just a few small details left to sort out”. As for this season, which has only just begun, he remains very optimistic: “My team is working incredibly hard, and you learn more from defeat than from victory. We have new people in our team, who are really hungry, and updates that were already ready for Imola. We know the direction we need to follow in order to get closer to the guys in front”.
Stay tuned tomorrow, at 1.30 p.m. and 5.00 p.m., for two eagerly-awaited free practice sessions.
The Porsche Supercup may have found its master again, in the person of Larry ten Voorde. The Dutch driver, twice crowned champion in 2020 and 2021, finished at the top of the timesheets, as he often does, in the free practice session of his favorite category, interrupted several times by red flags late Thursday afternoon in the streets of the Principality.
Defeated for the title, last year, by Luxemburg’s Dylan Pereira, ten Voorde was 4 tenths of a second ahead of France’s Dorian Boccolacci, 3rd in 2021 and 2nd in 2022… behind him, in Monaco. With a best lap posted at 1:34.316, the Dutchman marked his territory and showed all his rivals that he was again the huge favourite for this 2023 edition. On a circuit where Porsche Supercup is starting its 31st season, following the cancellation last week of the Imola meeting.
A third driver is hoping to join the fight for the podium on Sunday: Harry King, the Briton from Lechner Racing, took 3rd place in this one and only free practice session. He will have to wait until 6.45pm on Friday evening, after both F1 free practice sessions, to try and deny ten Voorde and Boccolacci pole position. This will be anything but easy. The race is scheduled for noon on Sunday.
The three support categories of the 80th Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco are now in charge, since last year, of opening the party on Thursday afternoon, with three free practice sessions that are crucial for fine-tuning the cars before Friday’s qualifying sessions. With a large contingent of French and Monegasque drivers at the wheel.
The first free practice session on the day’s menu, at 1:30 pm, was due to mark a great comeback for F3s in the Principality, after a long absence since 2005. An absence filled by GP3 and Formula Regional Alpine. The last time F3 raced in the streets of Monaco, a certain Lewis Hamilton took two wins in two F3 Euroseries races, before moving up to F1 two years later, with McLaren.
German Oliver Goethe, who holds a driving license at Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM), is starting F3 this year and holds 6th place in the series after four races. His compatriot Sophia Floersch, returns to F3 after a stint in endurance racing. She suffered an horrendous crash at Macau F3 GP in 2018. She is the only female representative this weekend in Monaco, in a championship dominated until now by Brazilian hopeful Gabriel Bortoleto.
From 3:00 pm, the Gang of Five of Formula 2 was announced, starting with Théo Pourchaire (ART GP), the leader of the championship after four rounds and eight races. The local man, from Grasse, has already won in F2 in Monaco two years ago, and he holds a three-point only lead (65 to 62) over Dane Frederik Vesti (Prema), whom he will have to watch out for all weekend.
Pourchaire leads the list of French-speaking drivers, with a very talented compatriot in his team, Victor Martins, a member of the Alpine drivers’ Academy, who is making his debut in F2 after winning the F3 title last year. Also worth watching closely are Clément Novalak (Trident), in his second F2 season, and two other debutants, Arthur Leclerc (DAMS), Charles’ brother, and Isack Hadjar (HiTech), winner of the 2021 Formula Regional Alpine race in Monaco. The same year as Pourchaire in F2.
The grand master of Porsche Supercup, Larry ten Voorde, lost his crown last year. For the 31st season in the history of this very spectacular category, the experienced Dutchman will try to regain his domination. We may start to find out this Thursday, from 4:30 pm, if Frenchman Dorian Boccolacci, 3rd in 2021 and 2ndin 2022, is able to climb on the highest step of the princely podium, on Sunday morning…
A special programme for this 80th edition.
For viewers from France and the Principality of Monaco, a full live programme is waiting for you, including the broadcasting of all the sessions on Monaco Info.
This weekend will also be an opportunity for the Canal+ group to celebrate 10 years anniversary of broadcasting Formula 1 on its channels. A studio will be set up on the Port and will receive numerous guests throughout the event. Canal+ viewers will be joined by four-time winner Alain Prost for the commentary. A special anniversary documentary will also be broadcast on Sunday morning for the occasion.
For the third year in a row, the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco Trophy will be presented in a bespoke Louis Vuitton Travel Case as part of an ongoing partnership between the Maison and the Automobile Club de Monaco.
Hand-crafted in the House’s historic Asnières workshop on the outskirts of Paris, the trunk showcases Louis Vuitton’s traditional know-how while drawing inspiration from the heritage of the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco.
The iconic Monogram canvas is adorned with the red shade of the Monaco flag while the red lines, tracing the “V” for “Victory”, are rimmed with a white strip, reminiscent of the unique urban route of the track where driving excellence goes hand in hand with power and precision.
This tailor-made trunk, in the colours of the Principality, will hold the trophy depicting the 19 turns of the 3.337-km track. The trophy will be awarded to the winner of the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 80th edition. Stay tuned on Sunday, May 28th, for the Podium Ceremony.
The Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2023 is coming soon! The most awaited weekend of the year will take place from Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 May. A rich sporting programme awaits you with practice sessions, qualifying and races in Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3 and Porsche Supercup, all in the very special setting and atmosphere of the Principality of Monaco.
Although Sunday 28 May is sold out, tickets are still available for Thursday 25, Friday 26 May and some for Saturday 27 May. Don’t wait any longer!
Find the different ticketing points and their opening hours below:
To enjoy an immersive experience, join us to the Fan Zone MGPLive located at Place d’Armes, with free entrance! Many activities are waiting for you: live drivers’ interviews, simulators, pit stop challenge, diffusion of the track sessions, live music…
Opening days and hours:
Dress in the colours of the Monaco Grand Prix
You can also find the different points of sale of the Official Shop of the ACM:
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