Max Verstappen Smashes Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull Victory Record at Monaco Grand Prix

Max Verstappen, two-time world champion and member of the Red Bull racing team, won his 39th Formula One race with the Austrian Team on May 28. As a result, Verstappen is now Red Bull's all-time winningest driver, surpassing Sebastian Vettel of Germany, who has since retired. Even though Vettel still has a 4:2 championship advantage over Verstappen, the Dutch driver has plenty of time to catch up if he stays in F1. Because of his victory in Monaco, Verstappen now has a 39-point advantage over teammate Sergio Perez, who came home empty-handed on Sunday. While leading every lap of the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix ahead of Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, Verstappen was forced to drive through a torrential downpour. Before pitting for intermediates, he hit the wall, but he recovered when Alonso stopped for wets. With nine laps remaining, at the exit of the Swimming Pool segment, Verstappen collided with another wall but still managed to finish first, giving him his 39th career F1 win and fourth of 2023.

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2023 Monaco Grand Prix

Straight from the start, Verstappen on the medium tyres had a comfortable lead over Alonso, who had opted for the harder rubber. Even though the top three finishers were the same as they were on the starting grid, the late rain added drama as the racers skidded around a circuit that was wet in some spots but dry in others. Esteban Ocon took the first podium of the 2023 Formula One season for himself and Alpine after fending off Mercedes and Ferrari at the Monaco Grand Prix. Because the Mercedes duo had undercut the Ferraris during the rain delay, Lewis Hamilton targeted Esteban Ocon, but the Frenchman held on to finish third. For his efforts that day, he was recognised as the best driver. 

George Russell of Mercedes finished fifth, while home favourite Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, who had been penalised three places for impeding in qualifying, finished sixth. Pierre Gasly of Alpine, Carlos Sainz of Ferrari, Lando Norris of McLaren, and Oscar Piastri of McLaren rounded out the points positions.

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F1 Monaco GP: Alonso Missed Opportunity

Alonso had to make two pit stops, once for mediums and once for intermediates, while Verstappen slipped dangerously at Portier after delaying his stop until lap 56 to coincide with the rain. Christian Horner, Red Bull's team principal, noted that had Alonso first chosen the intermediate tyres, Verstappen would have been under greater pressure. While Alonso was celebrating his sixth podium of the season and Aston Martin's best finish so far, Canadian teammate Lance Stroll was forced to retire due to a collision.

In a spectacular season for Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso has finished on the podium five times in six races, but he still feels that he isn't closing the gap on Red Bull's Max Verstappen. Both drivers have won two Formula One titles, so this year's race will be more meaningful for them. Verstappen, then only 18 years old, made his Red Bull debut in the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, which will take place next weekend. The last time Alonso won a race was in 2013, so this would be a great spot for the 41-year-old Spaniard to break his winless streak.