Monaco Grand Prix preview: Verstappen and Perez set to battle for Championship lead

After last week’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix was cancelled due to flooding, we head to the streets of Monaco this week for what is often one of the most exciting races on the F1 circuit.

We preview the race and look at the likeliest winners below.

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Verstappen and Perez set to go head to head for Championship lead

When Max Verstappen blew the field away to win the first Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain many people predicted that he would stride effortlessly to a third Drivers’ Championship. However, after five races to date a key title challenger has emerged in his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. The Mexican has two race wins to Verstappen’s three and lies only 14 points behind him in the championship. Perez has also indicated that he won’t lie down and let Verstappen win this year, so the race for the title looks to be on.

Monaco could be the type of race that proves to be a title decider come the end of the season as both Verstappen and Perez have winning experience around the Circuit de Monaco, with the Dutchman winning there in 2021 and Perez taking the race last year. Unsurprisingly they head the win market this year, with Verstappen a 11/10 chance and Perez priced at 3/1.

However, the sharp city circuit possibly won’t see the Red Bull’s able to capitalise on their superior speed and that may give the other drivers the chance to close the gap.

Leclerc out to atone for last year’s disappointment

Last year, the race made headlines for the Ferrari pitstop confusion that ultimately cost race leader Charles Leclerc a vital win. The Monacan driver was out in front, but a Ferrari team call to get him to pit at the same time as teammate Carlos Sainz caused significant delay, and caused Leclerc to lose his position.

Leclerc will surely be out to make amends at his home Grand Prix, and despite the ongoing troubles with Ferrari that has seen them reach the podium only once this season, he is 4/1 to record a win here.

If Ferrari have been poor so far, so have Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell again only recording one podium between them from five races. Hamilton typically drives well in Monaco, but he will need to be at his very best if he’s to gain a first Grand Prix win since December 2021. The seven-time Drivers’ Champion is 33/1 to win here, the same price as his teammate Russell, while both drivers are 4/1 to finish on the podium.

Veteran two-time Drivers’ Championship winner Fernando Alonso’s resurgence for Aston Martin has been one of the stories of the season so far. The 41-year-old has only failed to reach the podium once in five starts this season, when narrowly missing out in Azerbaijan. He’s priced at 11/2 to go two better in Monaco, a race he last won in 2007, while he’s EVNS to once again make the top three.

Constructors Championship

Red Bull already have an almost unassailable lead in the race to be crowned champion constructors – 122 clear of nearest challengers Aston Martin – and are 1/100 to remain in pole position. They have won all five of this season’s races to date, and they have achieved an incredible 90 percent podium strike rate in that time. They are just 1/2 to make it a perfect six from six wins in Monaco.

According to the odds, Ferrari are the closest to them in terms of winning in Monaco at 3/1, from Aston Martin, who are having a fine season, and are 5/1 to win their first ever Grand Prix.

Mercedes (16/1) and McLaren, Alpine and Haas (all 250/1) are outsiders to gain a win this weekend.

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