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The 2023 F1 Monaco GP was a stunning spectacle that had everything for everyone.
It had action; it had drama, and it had multiple superheroes doing stuff that mere mortals can only dream of. When all is said and done in the high-intensity session and everyone breathes a sigh of relief, there would be a few looking at the timesheets and marveling at the results recorded on the day.
Meanwhile, there are surely going to be a few who would be almost furious at how the session went. Let's take a look at the winners and losers of the session on Saturday.
2023 F1 Monaco GP Qualifying
Winner
Max Verstappen
There have been moments this season when it appeared that almost everything seems a bit too easy for Max Verstappen. The car is too good; his teammate is not really at his level. Essentially the Red Bull driver is just cruising to wins.
Well, the 2023 F1 Monaco GP was anything but easy for the Dutchman. This pole position from Verstappen was all him and not the car. At the end of the session, there were four cars in the top four, and any of them could have been on pole. The fact that Verstappen was able to do it is a sign of remarkable talent and application.
Loser
Sergio Perez
It might be a bit of a harsh statement, but Sergio Perez more or less kissed his championship bid goodbye with a lousy error in qualifying.
One cannot stress enough how poor that error was, especially considering the fact that he was under no pressure. More importantly, he did it at a track like Monaco where you just can't recover from a mistake like that.
Perez had a few believers of his talent in his battle against Verstappen this season. He lost a large chunk of them on Saturday.
Winner
F1 and Monaco
When was the last time we had four different drivers from as many different teams in contention for pole?
The fact that one has to strain their memory to such an extent should tell you how rare it is. Coming to the 2023 Monaco GP race weekend, there were a few disgruntled voices who were not happy with proceedings.
Some were unhappy over how the season was Red Bull domination 2.0 after what happened last season. Meanwhile, others were just not up for the processional race in Monaco, where overtaking is, for the lack of a better word, near impossible.
All these things are true, and the statements certainly have merit. Having said that, the 2023 Monaco GP qualifying produced an intense session where multiple teams fought for pole. Even till the dying stages of the session, you could not predict who would end up on top. For a season that has lacked legitimate action, it was fun to watch.
Loser
Mercedes
The new upgrade package works better on other tracks, as the German team continue to have one humbling experience after another.
They have two brilliant drivers, arguably capable of fighting and winning world championships in the right car but stuck dragging an uncompetitive machinery every weekend.
Both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell are more than capable of holding their own against Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc. However, if they continue to have cars of this ilk, there's not much they can deliver.
Winner
Alpine and Esteban Ocon
What Fernando Alonso did on his fastest lap was brilliant, but that was what we expected of him. What Charles Leclerc did on his fastest lap was stunning, but then, you expect that from the Ferrari driver. In all of that, though, what Esteban Ocon did on his final lap in his Alpine stood out in the top four.
First and foremost, at no point during the entire weekend, Alpine shown their ability to challenge for pole. The car was at best fourth or fifth-fastest, with strong competition from Mercedes and McLaren. Looking at where Gasly finished, that seems to be the right judgment in terms of where one would place Alpine in the pecking order.
Nevertheless, Ocon went for it on the last lap and placed his car on the second row. Both the French driver and the team needed this result at the Monaco GP after what has been a tough start to the season.
Loser
Lance Stroll
Lance Stroll has been playing catch-up in the Monaco GP more often than not. He has not had the pace to match Alonso. He has not had the pace to be competitive, and most importantly, he has not shown the kind of confidence in the car that his teammate epitomises.
Stroll is a good driver - there's no doubt about that - but the Monaco GP qualifying has once again shown that he's a bit of a dead weight in the bigger scheme of things at Aston Martin.
