The F1 season continues after last week’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix was canceled because of deadly floods in Italy. With the season now a quarter of the way done, the teams will get back on track for the star-studded Monaco Grand Prix.
However, there may be some more weather concerns in the cards as showers are expected throughout the day on Friday and Saturday with showers currently expected during the day on Sunday.
If the Monaco Grand Prix does proceed as planned, it will mark the first race where teams can use revamped Pirelli “Cinturato Blue” rain tires, which were meant to debut in Italy. The tires do not need tire warmers, so the benefits of that might be seen for the first time this weekend.
On the track, teams will be looking to not only overcome the rain but the impressive performance of Red Bull, which has won all five races to start the season. Monaco is the perfect track for one of the other teams to overtake the current favorites since the street circuit makes it very difficult for overtaking after lap one. If another team can secure pole position, they have a decent shot of being able to hold off Red Bull.
That could be good news for hometown driver Charles Leclerc, who won the pole in Monaco last year but finished fourth. In fact, Leclerc historically has tons of success on Saturday, but can’t seem to close the deal during the race on Sunday. In his career, he has earned 19 poles but has won just four of those races.
While Aston Martin and Ferrari seem to be the best bets to challenge Red Bull this weekend, both Mercedes and Alfa Romeo were due for upgrades at Imola last week. If those upgrades come this weekend, will Mercedes be able to push back into the competition? That and the continued poor performance of McLaren will be two of the big storylines to watch heading into the Monaco Grand Prix.
Monaco Grand Prix Schedule, How to Watch
Qualifying
- Date: Saturday, May 27th
- Time: 10:00 a.m. ET
- TV: ESPN
The Race
- Date: Sunday, May 28th
- Time: 9:00 a.m. ET
- TV: ESPN
2023 Monaco Grand Prix Odds
For up-to-the-minute odds for the Monaco Grand Prix visit DraftKings here
| Driver | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +115 |
| Sergio Perez | Red Bull | +285 |
| Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +330 |
| Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +650 |
| Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +2800 |
| Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | +3000 |
| George Russell | Mercedes | +3500 |
| Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +10000 |
| Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +30000 |
| Lando Norris | McLaren | +30000 |
| Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +30000 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | +60000 |
| Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +60000 |
| Nyck de Vries | AlphaTauri | +60000 |
| Nico Hulkenburg | Haas | +60000 |
| Logan Sargeant | Williams | +60000 |
| Kevin Magnussen | Haas | +60000 |
| Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | +60000 |
| Guanyu Zhou | Alfa Romeo | +60000 |
| Alex Albon | Williams | +60000 |
Monaco Grand Prix Top Picks
Charles Leclerc to finish on the podium (-190)
We already discussed the success that Leclerc has had in qualifying in pole position, and he certainly knows this track better than any other driver. Still, his odds continue to fall based on the poor start to the year and there is now added value on betting him to win the race at +330. However, if you don’t want to take that chance, a safer bet is for him to finish on the podium, assuming his team doesn’t get in his way as has been the case in the past.
Lando Norris to finish Top-10 (-150)
McLaren has certainly underperformed this year, but it’s wild to see bettable odds for Norris to finish in the top 10. He’s only finished in the points in two of three races this year, but he’s finished 11th, 3rd, and 6th at Monaco in his three career races, and he has the ability to handle this track.
Monaco Prix Darkhorse Pick
Sergio Perez to win the Grand Prix (+285)
Obviously, Verstappen is the favorite to win the Monaco Grand Prix, but Perez has won two of the five races this year, so he certainly has a good chance to take another. In fact, five of his six career wins have been on street tracks, and he won Monaco last year, so he makes for a solid bet this weekend.
Valterri Bottas to finish top-10 (+300)
Valtteri Bottas has not had a good start to the year driving for Alfa Romeo; however, he has historically performed really well at the Monaco Grand Prix. He finished ninth here last year and has the technical skill to push beyond his car’s poor pace. If the weather makes the race even more chaotic, then Bottas’ experience and success on the track will play an even bigger role.
For more F1 coverage like this preview of the Monaco Grand Prix, visit amNY Sports
