Red Bull driver Verstappen surged to his third pole of 2023 by just 0.084s with a remarkable late effort to usurp Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who had until the dying moments of the session looked set to claim his first pole since Hockenheim 2012.
At the circuit where pole position has more value than any other, due to the difficulty of overtaking at the Principality, Verstappen had trailed his fellow double world champion by two tenths heading into the short final sector. But Verstappen “gave it everything I had” and admitted he “clipped a few barriers” to secure his first pole position in Monaco and increase his chances of repeating his 2021 victory.
Alonso admitted he was driving at “an uncomfortable level of risk” to secure the all-important pole, but keeps his hopes of a first Monaco victory since 2007 alive with a front row start.
Charles Leclerc qualified third for Ferrari, but a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lando Norris in the Tunnel section dropped him to sixth and elevated Esteban Ocon to third. The Alpine driver was another to admit he “hit the wall very hard a couple of times” and delighted to match his best-ever grid position, despite some frustration that his ploy of running early in the hope of a late red flag didn’t pay off.
Carlos Sainz recovered from his FP2 crash to take fourth after Leclerc’s penalty, with Lewis Hamilton boosted to fifth in the lead Mercedes following its raft of upgrades. The eight-time world champion revealed that a set-up change which had made life harder in qualifying should pay dividends in the race.
However, Hamilton’s day was not straightforward as a late FP3 prang meant his car had to be hoisted to safety on a crane, giving eagle-eyed photographers a close-up view of the team’s closely guarded secrets, to the frustration of team boss Toto Wolff.
Verstappen’s pole was a positive antidote for Red Bull after defending Monaco winner Sergio Perez planted his car into the barriers at Sainte Devote in Q1. The Mexican will have to start from the pitlane as the impact required his team to replace the chassis. Perez admitted “I cannot believe what I what I've done”, as his championship deficit to Verstappen appears likely to increase.
When is the F1 Monaco Grand Prix?
- Date: Sunday 28 May 2023
- Start time: 2:00pm BST, 3:00pm local time
The sixth round of the 2023 F1 season, the Monaco GP on the streets of Monte Carlo, gets underway at 3:00pm local time (2:00pm BST) on Sunday 28 May.
How can I watch Formula 1?
In the United Kingdom Formula 1 is broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK.
Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels which costs £24 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.98p or a month membership of £34.99p per month.
How can I watch the F1 Monaco GP?
In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports will be live broadcasting the Monaco GP, with the race shown live on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Pre-race coverage will start at 12:30pm BST on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event, ahead of the race start at 2:00pm BST.
- Channels: Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event
- Start time: 2:00pm BST on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event, Sunday 28 May 2023
Autosport will be running a live text coverage of the Monaco GP here.
When can I watch the F1 Monaco GP highlights?
In the United Kingdom Channel 4 is broadcasting highlights of the Monaco GP at 6:30pm BST on Sunday. The full programme will run for two hours and 30 minutes, covering the pre-race, the race highlights and the initial post-race reaction to wrap up the major talking points of the race weekend.
For the entire 2023 F1 season, Channel 4 will broadcast highlights of every qualifying and race of each event. The highlights will also be available on Channel 4’s on demand catch up services.
- Channel: Channel 4
-
Start time: 6:30pm BST, Sunday 28 May 2023
Will the F1 Monaco GP be on the radio?
Live radio coverage of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2023 F1 season will be available on the BBC Radio 5 Live, 5 Live Sports Extra stations, the BBC Sounds app and the via the BBC Sport website.
Live coverage of the Monaco GP will start at 2:00pm BST on BBC Radio 5 Live and on the BBC Sounds app.
Weather forecast for the F1 Monaco GP
Current weather forecasts predict warm and sunny conditions, with a low chance of rain. The temperature is expected to be 22 degrees Celsius for the start of the race.
How many laps is the F1 Monaco GP?
The race is scheduled to complete 78 laps of the Monte Carlo Circuit, covering a total race distance of 260.286km.
F1 Monaco GP starting grid
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Max Verstappen |
 |
Red Bull |
| 2 |  Fernando Alonso |
 |
Aston Martin |
| 3 |  Charles Leclerc |
 |
Ferrari |
| 4 |  Esteban Ocon |
 |
Alpine |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz |
 |
Ferrari |
| 6 |  Lewis Hamilton |
 |
Mercedes |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly |
 |
Alpine |
| 8 | George Russell |
 |
Mercedes |
| 9 |  Yuki Tsunoda |
 |
AlphaTauri |
| 10 | Lando Norris |
 |
McLaren |
| 11 |  Oscar Piastri |
 |
McLaren |
| 12 | Nyck de Vries |
|
AlphaTauri |
| 13 |  Alex Albon |
 |
Williams |
| 14 |  Lance Stroll |
 |
Aston Martin |
| 15 |  Valtteri Bottas |
 |
Alfa Romeo |
| 16 |  Logan Sargeant |
 |
Williams |
| 17 |  Kevin Magnussen |
 |
Haas |
| 18 |  Nico Hulkenberg |
 |
Haas |
| 19 |  Zhou Guanyu |
 |
Alfa Romeo |
| 20 |  Sergio Perez |
 |
Red Bull |
| View full results | |||
