Max Verstappen bumps Fernando Alonso off Monaco Grand Prix pole with a stormy final lap

F1 enters its most glamorous and prestigious weekend at the 69th Monaco Grand Prix.

Everyone is chasing Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez as the Red Bull duo have racked up wins to open the season and lead the Drivers’ Championship by a wide margin. With overtaking other cars even more challenging in Monaco’s tight conditions, qualifying and pit lane performance are both crucial, which could open the door for Ferrari’s Monaco-born Charles Leclerc.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix:

Starting grid Monaco Grand Prix

1. Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT

2. Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes

3. Esteban Ocon (31), Alpine Renault

4. Carlos Sainz (55), Ferrari

5. Lewis Hamilton (44), Mercedes

6. Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari

7. Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault

8. George Russell (63), Mercedes

9. Yuki Tsunoda (22), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT

10. Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes

11. Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes

12. Nyck de Vries (21), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT

13. Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes

14. Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes

15. Valtteri Bottas (77), Alfa Romeo Ferrari

16. Logan Sargeant (2), Williams-Mercedes

17. Kevin Magnussen (20), Haas Ferrari

18. Nico Hulkenberg, (27), Haas Ferrari

19. Zhou Guanyu (24), Alfa Romeo Ferrari

20. Sergio Perez (11), Red Bull-Honda RBPT

Monaco 2023 Grand Prix TV/Streaming Schedule

All times Eastern

Sunday
7:30-8:55 am: Pre-Race Show (ABC, ESPN App, F1 TV)
8:55-11am: Monaco Grand Prix (ABC, ESPN App, F1 TV)

Details Grand Prix of Monaco 2023

Track: Circuit de Monaco (Monte Carlo, Monaco), 2,047-mile, 19-turn street course
Length: 78 laps for 161 miles.
Lap record: 1:12.909 (Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 2021)
Tire Compounds: C3 (hard), C4 (medium), C5 (soft)

Verstappen headlines time registration Friday; Sainz crashes

Verstappen’s 1:12.462 lap in Free Practice 2 was the fastest during Friday practice, just 0.065 ahead of Leclerc. Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz, had the third-fastest time in FP2 with 1:12.569 – and was fastest in FP1 – but the Spaniard clipped the wall coming out of the pool area and destroyed his front right suspension.

Top drivers and best bets for the Monaco Grand Prix

The Red Bulls go into the weekend once again as favorites with Verstappen at +125 and Perez at +350, according to BetMGM. Only four drivers have more than 22 to 1 chances of victory.

Best odds of winning
•Max Verstappen +125
• Sergio Perez +350
• Charles Leclerc +350
• Fernando Alonso +450

Qualifying is vital in Monaco, where overtaking races are rare. To that end, we recommend looking at some qualifying attributes such as: pole margin of 0.251 seconds or more (+250) and any team except Red Bull to take pole (+110).

2023 Monaco Grand Prix Entries

Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Sergio Perez (11), Red Bull-Honda RBPT
Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari
Carlos Sainz (55), Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton (44), Mercedes
George Russell (63), Mercedes
Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault
Esteban Ocon (31), Alpine Renault
Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes
Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes
Zhou Guanyu (24), Alfa Romeo Ferrari
Valtteri Bottas (77), Alfa Romeo Ferrari
Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes
Kevin Magnussen (20), Haas Ferrari
Nico Hulkenberg, (27), Haas Ferrari
Nyck de Vries (21), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
Yuki Tsunoda (22), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT
Logan Sargeant (2), Williams-Mercedes
Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes

The weather of the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix

Conditions can change quickly on the French Riviera, but rain is currently forecast for Saturday and possibly Sunday. Rain played a part in last year’s race as approaching precipitation delayed the start of the race and the teams opted to start on the intermediate tyre. About 17 laps later, the teams began to pit for slicks and confusion on the Ferrari pit wall saw pole-sitter Leclerc pit from the lead to emerge fourth.