Starting at the front of the race, the Red Bull driver, who arrived in the Principality with the label of man to beat, was faithful to his rank and was never worried by the competition - barely by the rain that briefly invited itself in the last third of the race.

"We didn't really know what was going to happen ... we had to stay calm, drive in all conditions," said the Dutchman at the finish of the 80th Monaco GP.

One champion hiding another, the Spaniard Fernando Alonso finished 2nd in this 6th round of the season. Starting second, the double F1 world champion in 2005 and 2006 will not have been really worried by his pursuers.

On the other hand, his team's strategy against the capricious Monegasque sky could have cost him dearly since the veteran of the grid (41 years old) was first called to the pits to put on the medium tires... before being called back a lap later to put on the intermediates, better suited to the wet track.

"It was difficult," conceded the "Bull of Asturias". "We had to play with strategy. Max rode really well with the mediums (in the first part of the race, editor's note), then the rain came. It complicated things and it was not easy to drive in these conditions."

3rd podium in F1 for Ocon

In the championship, Verstappen consolidated his lead over teammate Sergio Pérez, only 16th in a weekend to forget for the winner of the event in 2021.

The Mexican still retains his second place overall, ahead of Alonso who returns to 12 units of the Red Bull driver in the overall.

In a setting that combines, like every edition, a touch of glamour - with its yachts moored in port - and the undeniable historical cachet of an event on the calendar continuously since 1955, Frenchman Esteban Ocon won the third podium of his F1 career.

French driver Esteban Ocon (Alpine), during the F1 Monaco Grand Prix on May 28, 2023 © CHRISTIAN BRUNA / AFP

"What a great weekend, we improved the car all weekend without making a single misstep," said the euphoric Norman. Thanks to his 3rd place, he also gives Alpine its first podium since 2021.

Under the eyes of an audience of stars - including PSG player Neymar and British actor Tom Holland - the child of the country Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) finished 6th behind the Mercedes of British Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

The day before, the Monegasque, qualified 3rd, had been penalized three places for having hindered in qualifying the McLaren of British Lando Norris, 9th Sunday.

When the lights went out on Sunday, the reigning vice-champion had started from 6th place. Before crossing the finish line 78 laps later, with the regret of having again failed to get a first podium at home.

© 2023 AFP