Max Verstappen thoroughly enjoyed the way he took victory during a dramatic Monaco Grand Prix, controlling proceedings and overcoming a late rain shower to take the checkered flag first.
After converting pole position, Red Bull driver Verstappen had comfortably led Aston Martin rival Fernando Alonso when rain came in the closing stages, wetting only certain corners before intensifying to cover the entire track.
READ MORE: Verstappen beats Alonso to Monaco GP win despite rain causing late drama
While Alonso pitted for slicker tires amid raindrops, Verstappen was left out and was able to go straight from his early mediums to intermediates soon after, meaning he came out with an even bigger lead.
Verstappen eventually crossed the line almost half a minute ahead of Alonso to secure victory and move 39 points ahead of teammate Sergio Pérez, who was unable to climb past 16th place after starting at the back due to his qualifying accident.
After the race Verstappen said: “It was quite difficult because initially we were in the middle and Fernando was on the hard tyre. We didn’t want to go that long, but we also had. The rain was coming, and we didn’t really know what was happening.
Monaco Grand Prix 2023: Spins, slips and slides as rain hits Monaco causing chaos for drivers
“The tires were wearing down and then it took a few laps to get past that phase and the pace picked up a bit, but it was still very difficult to drive. Then it started to rain lap by lap, and then we had to make the call to go to intermission.
“It was incredibly slippery. When you’re that far up front, you don’t want to push too much, but you don’t want to lose too much time, so it’s quite difficult in that scenario. I clipped the walls several times, it was very difficult, but that’s Monaco!
As for the moment Verstappen made contact with the barriers at Portier before switching to the intermediates, he added: “I locked up the rears and then I couldn’t get out, then I tried to control it with a bit of drift but the wall in a way prevented to slip further.”
With Alonso the only Aston Martin to score, Verstappen’s win means Red Bull is now 129 points clear of its nearest rivals in the builders classificationIn addition to his empowered drivers championship position.
“It’s super nice to win,” added the Dutchman. “It’s also really nice to win the way we did today, with the weather and everything, to keep calm and bring it home. Again, a lot of points for the team too, so that’s great.”