Strategy and drama at Monaco
There was no miracle in Monaco. Max Verstappen asserted control once more, stamping his authority as he extended his winning streak to four and remained undefeated against his teammate Checo Pérez at the start of the World Championship. The race unfolded with the familiar Canal de Monaco feel: tight doors, scarce overtaking, and weather influences stacking the odds in surprising ways.
The spectacle mirrored the chaotic energy of a rain-laden finale, but the core battleground stayed on track. After a Saturday qualifying show that sparked talk of a duel between Verstappen and Fernando Alonso, the weather factor added a dramatic twist to the race. Fernando could not topple Verstappen, finishing in a strong second while Esteban Ocon completed the podium in third, proving Ferrari and McLaren were ready to push, even as the wet forecast loomed.
Attacking Verstappen
Verstappen and Ocon shared similar race plans, with Alonso and Sainz aligning closely in approach. The start was clean: Verstappen led, while Alonso kept Ocon in contact, preventing an early gap from forming. Hamilton applied pressure on Sainz during the climb, yet the Madrid-born driver held his ground with steady defense, keeping pace and forcing the field to rethink every move.
On the first laps, a touch by a rival sent one car off the line and another briefly into a penalty zone, reshuffling the order. Hulkenberg and Pérez found themselves at the back after a crash in Saturday’s qualifying, while Pérez recovered enough to claw his way back into the points with two strong overtakes as the race progressed.
Sainz’s moment and the risk signals
Early tire wear for Ocon opened a chance for Sainz to press, but a high-speed challenge ended with a damaged front wing on the Alpine after contact. Ferrari chose to keep the Spaniard on track, hoping to minimize harm, while the FIA signaled a warning about the collision. Moments later, Alonso identified a potential issue with the left-front wheel and wondered aloud if a puncture was looming, a reminder that every pit stop could decide the outcome in Monaco.
Radio chatter from the pit walls hinted at rain approaching, with Sainz and Ferrari debating two pit stops. Ocon did not bite and continued to manage his tyres, keeping his advantage in a race where every decision could swing momentum.
Ferrari under pressure
Verstappen’s pace formed a relentless chain as he found himself surrounded by a line of double-staffed rivals, including Pérez. Alonso seized the moment, closing the gap to the Red Bull leader as Ocon encountered a slower pit stop that cost him time. Sainz tried to take advantage but found himself in a tighter position after pitting, and team members debated the best way forward to defend against Hamilton, who trailed closely behind.
From the Scuderia pit wall, the intention seemed to be about defending against a late surge rather than mounting a direct attack on Ocon. Sainz expressed frustration, questioning the decision to pit him at a critical moment, while the team explained the choice as a defensive measure against the improving pace of Hamilton and the need to maintain a strong race posture.
Rain looms and chaos erupts
With 26 laps remaining the rain began to fall, turning the Monaco asphalt into a slippery stage. The field stayed out, a bold gamble for those hoping to squeeze performance from intermediate tyres. Alonso paused for a stop, then ran the rest of the lap on a compromised tyre, while most rivals chose the wet tyres to chase an alternate rhythm. Stroll’s car suffered an off during a brief delay, yet Alonso managed to rebound and regain track position after the minor setback.
Alonso emerged 22 seconds behind Verstappen, while Ocon closed to within 3.8 seconds of Sainz, who pressed hard in waters and attempted bold lines through the flood. The Madrid driver found himself among the chaos of a late-race scramble, eventually slipping to eighth as the final phases unfolded.
Sainz’s dramatic recovery moment became a social media highlight as fans captured the spin and the crowd reaction. The moment reflected the unpredictability of Monaco and the nerve required to push back after a setback.
Verstappen stretched his lead as lap times remained consistent, while Alonso risked everything to close the gap, pressing with an aggressive cadence to shave seconds off the limit. The championship leader kept steady and composed in the increasingly challenging conditions, resisting the pressure from a rain-affected track where even the best could misjudge a corner or brake point.
Russell, sitting fifth with Hamilton ahead and Leclerc close behind, incurred a five-second penalty for a track maneuver, adding another layer of strategy to the race. Stroll endured another DNF in a season already short on happy endings for him, underscoring the unpredictable nature of Monaco and the relentless pace of the leaders.
In the end, Verstappen, Alonso, and Ocon finished on the podium, reaffirming Monaco as a weekend of high drama and strategic nuance. The race would feed discussions ahead of the Barcelona weekend, where fans expect a different dynamic as teams bring fresh setups and fresh plans to the circuit. The crowd at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya looked forward to seeing Alonso in a bid for a long-awaited 33rd win—a milestone that last touched the property of this track a decade ago when the driver last pushed a Ferrari to victory in this setting.