Max Verstappen Wins Dramatic Wet-Dry Race 2023 Monaco Grand Prix
- AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo
VIVA – Max Verstappen racer from Red Bull becomes the winner of a dramatic Monaco Grand Prix race with unexpected weather changes in Monte Carlo on Sunday.
"It was quite a difficult race. I had to stay on track when it was raining and the car became very difficult to drive. It rained and I didn't understand what was happening (due to drastic weather changes)," Verstappen said, quoted from the official Formula 1 site.
Furthermore, the 25-year-old racer said the track conditions, which were originally dry with warm weather in Monaco, suddenly became very slippery because the rain fell quite heavily.
"At that time the track conditions were very slippery. When I was far ahead of the race, it felt like with track conditions like that, I didn't want to push the car faster, however, I also didn't want to lose time. It was a difficult scenario. I hit the wall a few times, it was challenging, and that's the real challenge in Monaco," Verstappen explained.
"It feels very good to win here, considering what we have done during weather conditions and others, and being able to stay calm and bring home the title," he added.
Pembalap Red Bull Racing, Max Verstappen
- Mobil Lubricant
The Dutch racer managed to complete 78 laps with a time of 1 hour 48 minutes 51.99 seconds. His victory earned him 25 points and still tops the standings for the drivers' and constructors' championships for Red Bull.
He is ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso and Alpine's Esteban Ocon, who have 18 and 15 points respectively from the race in Monaco. Both are 27.9 seconds and 36.9 seconds adrift of Verstappen respectively.
Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell followed in fourth and fifth positions with a time difference of 39 seconds and 56.2 seconds respectively from the race leader.
Ferrari driver from Monaco, Charles Leclerc, had to settle for finishing sixth in his hometown with a time difference of 61.8 seconds from Verstappen. The top 10 list is completed by Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), Lando Norris (McLaren), and Oscar Piastri (McLaren).
