What to expect at 2023 Monaco Grand Prix
Get ready for glitz, drama, attitude and speed. The Monaco Grand Prix is back this weekend for its 80th anniversary race.
F1 fans around the world will tune in to watch drivers zoom through the French Riviera city for one of the greatest spectacles in motorsports. Much of the tiny country, including royals Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene, will turn out for race weekend.
Rather than racing on a track, Monaco allows F1 cars to race on its streets, so the circuit is narrow, twisty, dangerous, scenic and unforgettably glamorous. Drivers will reach speeds of up to 180 mph while getting extremely close to the track's barriers.
The best view of the Monaco Grand Prix is often from the Mediterranean Sea. Moneyed racing lovers from all over the world will dock their yachts near Monaco's pier to witness the spectacle from afar.
The Monaco Grand Prix follows a traditional race weekend structure: practice on Friday, qualifying on Saturday and racing Sunday. But the circuit's narrow streets mean that most of the drama comes during Saturday's qualifying sessions rather than Sunday's race. There are precious few places to pass, and the driver who finishes first in qualifying is generally the one who takes home the top prize.
Red Bull is the strongest team on the F1 grid, and many expect it to win the Monaco Grand Prix handily. While Red Bull's Max Verstappen is the odds-on favorite to finish first, his teammate Sergio Perez won in Monaco last year and enjoys racing on a tight, technical tracks like Monaco's.
But many in the media believe Monaco might be a race for someone besides Red Bull to win. Ferrari — with its strong one-lap pace and excellence around tight corners — believes Monaco is its strongest track on the calendar. The team has an emotional connection to the place: Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was born and raised in Monaco and will be racing on streets he walked as a child.
If Ferrari or Red Bull don't win, the long shot is Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso. He competed in his first F1 race before current McLaren driver Oscar Piastri was born, and he loves Monaco.
Alonso has won two world championships and 32 races in his F1 career, but he hasn't topped the podium since 2013. This weekend's Monaco Grand Prix might just be his best opportunity to snag win No. 33.
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