Verstappen won in Monaco and Alonso’s 33rd victory was halted

The incredible battle for victory between two of the best drivers F1 has ever seen, between two magicians like Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso, did not take place this Sunday in Monaco. They already starred it the other day in a classification that remains for history. With 84 thousandths, Max took the pole from Oviedo on the streets of the Principality driving in Senna style with a last sector to remember. There was a major battle between these two giants. But there is an option this Sunday. Alonso had another unexpected opportunity that Aston Martin didn’t take advantage of this Sunday. The one who gave him rain. With 27 laps to go, water appeared in the Principality to open a window for the Asturian. In times of greatest uncertainty, Alonso had the option to attack in the pits. But it was not fulfilled. And from there, Max and Fernando had to focus on drifting through the water keeping the car away from the walls to finish. So it is. Verstappen wins the 2023 F1 Monaco GP over Fernando Alonso (2nd) and an Esteban Ocon (3rd) who managed to salvage third position despite several attacks by Sainz, who finally finished in 8th place due to contact with the wall during the heaviest rain.

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As expected, if nothing happened, dry, it was impossible for the Asturian to put the car in the Dutch in search of his long-awaited victory number 33 in F1. Fernando tried it out with his team starting on hard rubber, while Max started on normal. He bet on that strategy to try to surprise. But the Dutchman drives like angels to extend his first pit stop knowing that water could be coming.

As Alonso said, something had to happen: a problem with Max, a failure in the pit stop or in strategy. I don’t think the rain was good for him, but sure enough, the water that appeared with 27 laps to go gave Alonso a golden opportunity to choose to hold the glory after more than 10 years. It is possible. He entered the pits one lap ahead of Verstappen. It’s time to go all out. He can put the intermediates and take advantage of the fact that Max did not come in to win and that he is suffering on the wet track with dry tires. But they put hard dry tires on the Spaniard.

A lap later, with heavy rain, Fernando had to stop again as Max did during the intermissions. His option was gone. He was second, 20 seconds behind Max. He was able to salvage second place at the start in storm-induced chaos, but had no chance of winning, battling his own car and the track conditions to see out the finish. Only one mistake by Max can give him victory. Max had many scares, during one of which he even touched the outside wall of the pool area. But he reached the finish line in first place.

If Aston Martin took advantage of Alonso’s first stop to put intermediates, perhaps this narrative will tell a great victory for the Asturian and the green team. Or from a fight against Max. No one knows. Aston Martin also didn’t know that the water would stay so long on the track and turn it into a skating rink. They made a decision and it wasn’t good, but it wasn’t bad either: Alonso was able to keep second place, a priority today.

Max, more leader and Alonso approaches the runner-up

With this victory, Max Verstappen increased his lead in the World Championship with a ‘Checo’ Pérez who was the great loser of this Grand Prix. His classification mistake when he hit the wall in Q1 caused him to start late. And despite driving the best car, the difficulty of overtaking in Monaco made it impossible for him to reach the points. In this way, Max, who arrived with a 14-point advantage over the man from Guadalajara, will arrive at the F1 Spanish GP in Barcelona next week with a 39-point margin over his partner, who now sees Alonso staying with him in the fight for runner-up thanks to the great perseverance of a Fernando whose worst result was his fourth place in Australia. The rest, all third positions and second place this Sunday. The Spaniard is a scoring machine, race after race, without making a mistake.

Chaos in the rain; Sainz looked on the podium but 8th

The rain triggered a race that was completely decided. Verstappen led comfortably over Alonso and Ocon, who was 3rd with a slower pace, caused a bit of a train of cars with Sainz behind, who tried it several times in a touch with Ocon at the start of event, the Frenchman knew he was doing. a large cover. Hamilton, Gasly and Leclerc joined that train. The fight for the podium is centered on all the emotions of the appointment. Hamilton stopped early and launched his attack on Sainz in the pits. Ocon also stopped. And despite the fact that the numbers on the Ferrari wall indicated that by stopping they could not pass the Frenchman, they decided to put Carlos in the pits. Sainz did not understand this, he came out again behind Ocon. “Our object is to defend ourselves against Hamilton,” they told him. Ferrari is not going for the podium, but to save the fourth place. Carlos is very angry: “I don’t care about Hamilton!” he exclaimed.

The race seemed doomed, but then the rain appeared. It was chaos, with all the drivers fighting with their dry tires to stay on the track, sliding corner after corner. At that time, Sainz took the risk that the team did not put into the strategy. He squeezed Esteban Ocon over the water limits. He tried it on everything, slipped without stopping. But the water accumulated and the Spanish paid dearly for that risk. He went wide on the descent of Mirabeau Haute and crashed sideways against the protections. Fortunately for the Spaniard, he was able to continue his march, but had already lost places with Hamilton, Russell and Leclerc, from the battle for third and fourth place, to 8th. It was not a good day for a Sainz who could not be blamed for anything. He was 4th and attacked. He drives for Ferrari and should not think about saving fourth place, but rather on the podium. Tried it, but no luck.