Monaco Grand Prix Tips
Monaco Grand Prix betting tips: Sainz can upstage hometown hero
After last week’s postponement of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Formula 1 is hitting the streets for the iconic Monaco Grand Prix, with Ferrari and Aston Martin in line for a strong weekend.
Aston have enjoyed an excellent start to the season with new signing Fernando Alonso scoring four podiums in five races following his winter arrival from Alpine.
The Spaniard has been given a new lease of life behind the wheel of a very competitive Aston Martin and figures to have a chance at upstaging the all-conquering Red Bulls this weekend around the tight and twisty streets of Monte Carlo.
Ferrari will also be hoping to get closer to Red Bull, who have won all five previous races this year, as Charles Leclerc gears up for his home race having failed to convert pole position into a victory the last two years.
Red Bull will be tough to overhaul with Max Verstappen in god-like form in Miami in round five, while Sergio Perez won in Monaco last year as part of his string of street circuit wins.
But Monte Carlo may not play to their strengths and with the forecast suggesting a strong possibility of rain this weekend, potentially leading to a chaotic race, this may be one of those rare moments in 2023 where it’s worth taking on Red Bull.
Tip 1: Fernando Alonso race winner @ 7/1
Alonso is a two-time winner in Monaco but hasn’t made the podium for the last 11 years. That could all change come Sunday with the Spanish driver poised to mount a strong challenge.
The two-time world champion has needed no time at all to adapt to life at Aston Martin, who have taken a massive step forward this year in terms of their car development.
Behind the wheel of the AMR23, Alonso hasn’t finished lower than fourth and has twice qualified on the front row of the grid.
What’s held Alonso back from mounting a more serious challenge to Red Bull has been a lack of top speed, with the Red Bulls having a significantly better DRS package.
Those two advantages for Red Bulls are less impactful at Monaco, which features only one DRS zone.
Aston Martin’s aerodynamic package, which can create seriously high levels of downforce, should bring Alonso even closer still to Perez and world champion Verstappen, with the latter not odds-on for a victory for the first time since Bahrain.
Tip 2: Carlos Sainz top three finish @ 5/2
It would seem unthinkable for both Red Bulls not to get on the podium, but Ferrari should also be in the mix for a top-three finish given their pace through the slow corners.
Throughout the season, the Scuderia have been quickest through those types of bends, which are frequent at Monaco, a track that features the slowest corner of the F1 calendar: turn six.
Ferrari have had the fastest car in qualifying for the last two years at a circuit where pole position is more important than anywhere else. Somehow, the Scuderia have failed to convert either start into a win with a bungled strategy call costing Leclerc last season.
Leclerc will be eager to make amends for those near misses but could be upstaged by his team mate Carlos Sainz, who has been the more consistent of the two drivers this year.
The Spaniard admits he’s still getting to grips with the new Ferrari, which won’t feature the planned suspension upgrade due to come in at Imola, but has so far out-scored Leclerc 44 to 34 points.
Sainz has also finished runner-up in Monaco each of the last two years and offers more value as a podium contender than Leclerc.