Verstappen wins Monaco Grand Prix, Spain’s Alonso in 2nd place
Madrid, May 28 (EFE).- Dutch Red Bull driver Max Verstappen cemented his leadership atop the Formula One rankings by winning the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, with Spain’s Fernando Alonso, driving for Aston Martin, once again performing brilliantly and coming in second, the two-time world champion’s fifth appearance on the 1-2-3 podium so far this season.
Finishing in third place in the season’s sixth race was Alpine driver Esteban Ocon, the first Frenchman to stand on the Monaco podium since 1996.
The 25-year-old Verstappen started the race in the coveted pole position and is seeking his third consecutive title, notching his 39th F1 win, his fourth of the season.
Alonso, meanwhile mounted the podium for 103rd time in his career after running his best race of the season with the pavement dry at the start but growing wetter as the contest progressed due to rain on the winding streets of Montecarlo.
Because of the rain, the race saw moments of chaos, with a number of cars hitting various barriers, but Verstappen – who did scrape the wall three times – ran an almost perfect race and handily cruised to victory, enjoying a fabulous run in his vehicle designed by British aerodynamics guru Adrian Newey.
With his 39th win in the bag, he moved out ahead of Germany’s Sebastian Vettel, who had racked up 38 wins during the early years of the Red Bull team between 2010-2013.
Coming in fourth was Lewis Hamilton, driving for Mercedes, followed by teammate George Russell, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
Spain’s Carlos Sainz, with Ferrari was in the No. 8 spot and Lando Norris, with McLaren, in ninth and teammate Oscar Piastri rounding out the top 10.
Now in its 80th iteration, the 78-lap Monaco Grand Prix has been run on the 260-kilometer Circuit de Monaco since 1929 and is widely held to be one of the world’s most important and prestigious auto races, constituting one element – along with the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans – of the Triple Crown of Motorsport.
EFE arh/bp
