Winners and Losers from 2023 Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying

Winner - Max Verstappen

Red Bull were fearful coming into the weekend that the unique nature of Monaco would not play to the strengths of the RB19 - which are mostly straight-line speed and in fast corners.

Be that as it may, but when you've got the freak of nature Max Verstappen in the car, you don't need to worry.

Verstappen is like Manchester City footballer Erling Haaland, who has set a English Premier League record of 36 goals (and counting) in a single season - his first in England as they won the title.

They are the faces of the next generation who are robotic, scarily consistent and are hellbent on smashing all the records - and likely will do so. They have been born and natured from an early age to become the dominant force in their sport.

And Verstappen pulled a lap out from nowhere - one that Senna, Schumacher or Hamilton before would have been proud of after being four tenths down after his first lap.

This was Verstappen taunting the opposition: 'You're going to have to try harder than that to beat me.' This is the Verstappen era - and we're just living in it.

What did Verstappen say?

"Yesterday it wasn't the best start but I think we kept on improving and kept on being better, but in any qualifying you need to go all out and risk it all. My first sector wasn't ideal, and on my final lap I think Turn 1 was a bit cautious, but then I knew that I was behind, so in the last sector I just gave it everything, I had clipped a few barriers, but of course I'm very happy to be on Pole here for the first time."

Loser - Sergio Perez

And on the flipside, we have Sergio Perez, who title challenge in 2023 now lies ruined in the Sainte Devote tyre barrier.

A small mistake in losing the rear tipped Perez into the spin - and now he potentially faces a chassis change such was the damage. Either way he is starting last - enter cliche about Monaco and overtaking here...

T.S Eliott wrote in the The Waste Land that "April is the cruellest month" but Perez may beg to differ, seeing as Verstappen beat him from ninth on the grid in Miami and now has the opportunity to put one hand on the trophy already.

These are the fine margins in elite sport, and while Verstappen hit the wall on his pole lap, he did it just right. World Champions seem to earn themselves that bit of luck. Them's the breaks.

What did Perez say?

"It is unbelievable and I cannot believe what I've done. It just caught me by surprise, just getting the rear out of shape, especially really late into the corner, it caught me out."

Winner - Fernando Alonso

When it mattered, Fernando Alonso turned it on. He always does.

For what might be termed as 'sandbagging' the Aston was right on it in Qualifying as the two-time champion wrestled the AMR23 onto the front-row, out-qualifying Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz on pure pace.

But some of the talking up ahead of Monaco had been bluster from Alonso. They've struggled in Sector 3 all weekend with tyre warm-up, a trait the car needs to shake, but he kept that quiet.

If we're being picky, a small mistake in turning in too early and being forced to turn out again at the final corner on his final lap probably cost him pole, seeing as he lost the best part of three-tenths to Verstappen in the final segment of the lap - and pole by less than a tenth.

But he is primed for tomorrow - and you know full well that he will leave the space of a Red Bull and not an inch more should he get to Turn 1 first tomorrow.

What did Alonso say?

"Obviously pole position means a lot here in Monaco but Max was a little bit faster, which is a shame. Let's see tomorrow and what do we can do in terms of a strategy and if there is any weather to come in or something but we will try to win."

Loser - Charles Leclerc

How much punishment can one guy take in one race - especially their home Grand Prix?

Leclerc is fast running out of ways to screw up his Monaco Grand Prix - but is this really his fault?

The team should have told him that Lando Norris was approaching and to move off the racing line in the tunnel. An unsighted collision there would be a nasty incident.

Sharper operations would have informed him before he entered the tunnel and made sure the message got across.

As such, it is a three-place gird drop for Leclerc leaving him sixth on the grid, but as Ferrari cheerfully pointed out, this promotes Carlos Sainz to fourth. Silver linings and all that.

What did Leclerc say? - Speaking before the penalty

"I am not satisfied with P3 but on the other hand, we need to look at the situation we are in with the car. It was a very tricky weekend for me especially, we struggled a lot with the bumps compared to the other cars."

Winner - Esteban Ocon

Where did that come from?

Alpine were optimistic that they could maybe get a car in the top six, but for a brief while Esteban Ocon held provisional pole position, this despite never qualifying inside the top four for the team.

The A523 has shown flashes of pace this season, but for various reasons it just has not come together for the team.

They've been given an excellent platform by Ocon who starts third, and at a minimum should look to stay exactly where they are.

A podium can kick-start this stuttering campaign.

What did Ocon say?

"I've felt confident in the car from run one of FP1 being able to push a lot harder than usual, and have let it go 100% on that last lap. I hit the wall very, very hard a couple of times, but that definitely gave us a good amount of lap time."

Loser - Lance Stroll

Lance Stroll had the pace here to be a Q3 car at the very minimum - especially given the other one was second.

He was eliminated in Q2 and was 14th fastest, but got a break after missing the weighbridge and not being penalised for it.

That was perhaps the only thing that went right for the Canadian in Qualifying. He must start to nibble at Alonso's heels soon or could cost Aston second the Constructors' given Ferrari and Mercedes both have relatively equal drivers in terms of points.

What did Stroll say?

"I missed Turn 18, lost half a second and then everything went wrong."