An exhilarating afternoon ended in jubilation for Max Verstappen as he took his second win around the streets of Monaco.
With no rain at the start to give Red Bull a headache, it was a comfortable get away for the championship leader.
A mix of tyre compounds through the field meant Alonso, in second, and others started on the hard tyre to go longer into the race.
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It was a difficult race for Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard seemed to be in the wars constantly running into the back of Ocon on Lap 11 to damage his front wing.
It was a half-hearted move into the Nouvelle Chicane after pressure from his team to get past. Sainz seemed frustrated all afternoon and he lacked the composure and patience needed to make moves up the field.
Another weekend in which eh’s failed to beat Leclerc ramps up the pressure once again.
Is he the man to lead Ferrari to championships? The jury is still out.
As we approached half distance the race became processional as the medium tyre drivers came in, while those on the hards gambled, hoping for some rain.
Lance Stroll – another driver disappointing in contrast to their teammate – fund himself involved in two incidents in the space of a few laps.
First hitting Perez as the Mexican tried to make a move while his teammate lapped the Aston Martin. He then hit Kevin Magnussen in the Haas car meaning a front wing change was in order.
The only medium runner to stay out was Verstappen out in front. A decision that proved to be inspired as the race went on.
Rain mixes up the field
Rain was expected all weekend but it didn’t turn up on Saturday.
It seemed like we were in for more of the same on race day, but that all changed in a heartbeat.
On Lap 51 the rain started falling heavily as the drivers struggled with the changing conditions.
The front three – Verstappen, Alonso and Russell – were all yet to pit adding an extra layer of jeopardy at the front.
Meanwhile drivers further down the grid saw an unlikely opportunity to claim some points.
There was drama for Fernando Alonso as he first put on the medium tyres from his old hards.
This was clearly the wrong choice with the rain getting heavier. The team quickly realised their mistake and no sooner than going to the medium were they back in the pits.
Remarkably, the top two had such a gap out in front he was still able to claim 2nd place after both pit stops.
Ferrari’s misery continued as they had to double stack their drivers to come onto the intermediates.
It left both drivers behind the Mercedes pair in places they would never recover from.
Leclerc finished in 6th while Sainz came home in 8th just behind Pierre Gasly in a rejuvenated Alpine.
The McLaren’s came home in 9th and 10th after Tsunoda – who was looking strong throughout – suffered a brake failure.
Closing stages
The Mercedes driver settled into their positions just outside the podium spots. Familiar territory in recent times for the once feared team.
George Russell seemed to be on track to sneak a podium at some point as the conditions changed rapidly.
An excursion off track put this to bed with a 5-second penalty dished out a he unsafely rejoined the track.
The Brit was still able to bring it home in 5th just behind his teammate. Despite another difficult season, Mercedes find themselves only 1 point behind second in the Constructors race.
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They will expect to claim the position soon as Lance Stroll continues to falter. Currently, the man standing between them is the ever present, Fernando Alonso.
The Spaniard overcame his tyre troubles to take a comfortable second place.
Him and Verstappen are showing incredible consistency at the moment. The Dutchman was faultless again.
It’s easy to put it down to the car but he does not make mistakes. It was his teammate who came into this race with the expectation – his record at street circuits is incredible.
But whole Perez tangled with other drivers, Verstappem put in a shift on his opening stint, before calmly switching to inters and charging for the win.
He was a whopping 27 seconds ahead of Alonso by the end.
Driver of the day however has to go to the brilliant Esteban Ocon.
The team have been under fire following a poor start to the season. CEO Laurent Rossi publicly shamed the team meaning the pressure was on at Monaco.
After a dazzling lap yesterday, Ocon showed the race craft to back it up.
Despite dealing with pressure throughout, first from Ferrari and then Mercedes, he always looked in control.
A result that takes Alpine up to 5th in the WCC.
Its fair to say that the rain saved the day, but overall, its been a fantastic weekend after the devastation at Imola.
A shock qualifying order, rain in the race and an unlikely podium.
Who says F1 has outgrown Monaco?
Next week we go to Catalunya for the Spanish GP where Alonso will hope to delight the home crowd.