Having pipped Alonso to pole in the dying seconds of Saturday's thrilling qualifying session, Red Bull's Verstappen looked to be on course for a far more routine Sunday as he held his lead at the start and built a significant margin over the Aston Martin.

Rain began falling with a third of the race remaining to suddenly create jeopardy, but Verstappen responded with great composure and showed his superb skills in wet conditions to ultimately extend his advantage to almost 28 seconds by the time he took the chequered flag.

• The latest title standings after Max Verstappen's win
• Monaco GP: Race results

Alonso claimed his fifth podium in six races with Aston Martin, while Esteban Ocon took full advantage of his brilliant qualifying performance to hold on to third for Alpine.

The victory extends Red Bull's winning streak at the start of the season to six races, while Verstappen moves past Sebastian Vettel as the team's all-time leading race winner with 39 triumphs.

Verstappen, who is seeking a third successive world championship, now holds a 39-point lead over his nearest challenger - and team-mate Sergio Perez, who finished 16th after a qualifying crash left the Mexican starting from the back of the grid.

Lewis Hamilton benefitted from a timely switch to intermediates when the rain began falling to take fourth, with team-mate George Russell overcoming a five-second penalty to finish a place behind him as Mercedes sealed a solid haul in their first race with major upgrades on the W14.

Charles Leclerc was sixth for Ferrari at his home circuit, with Pierre Gasly backing up Ocon's effort to take seventh and ensure Alpine climb to the top of the midfield in the constructors' standings.

Carlos Sainz paid the price for a spin in the wet as he dropped from starting fourth to finish eighth, while McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both drove solid races to take ninth and 10th, respectively.

Red Bull's lead in the constructors' standings increases to 129 points ahead of next weekend's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

Monaco GP Race Result
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
3) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
4) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
5) George Russell, Mercedes
6) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
7) Pierre Gasly, Alpine
8) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
9) Lando Norris, McLaren
10) Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Rain fails to stop relentless Verstappen

Verstappen had done a big part of his job by topping a hugely-memorable Qualifying session on Saturday, and backed that up by getting away cleanly enough to lead Alonso into the first corner.

Pre-weekend doubt that Red Bull might be able to keep their winning streak going at a low-speed circuit which would theoretically be less suited to the RB19 was further eroded as Verstappen swiftly opened a gap to Alonso.

There was added intrigue in the fact the leading duo were on different tyres - Verstappen medium and Alonso hard - but the Red Bull had opened an eight-second lead after 20 laps, while Ocon was a further 15 seconds back in third.

There was a brief period of hope for Alonso as a combination of graining on Verstappen's tyres and traffic saw the gap almost halved from the 11 seconds it had reached, but the margin would begin to grow again soon after.

While just about the entire field behind them had pitted, Verstappen and Alonso waited amid the looming threat of rain, looking to retain the possibility of using their mandatory change of tyres on a switch to intermediates or wets.

When it started raining after 51 of the 78 laps, Aston Martin decided to pit Alonso, but wrongly for another set of slick tyres.

Moments later the likes of Ocon and Hamilton came in for intermediates, and it quickly became clear, as the rain strengthened and spread around the circuit, Aston Martin had made the wrong call, one that Alonso had questioned over team radio as it was made.

Verstappen, meanwhile, continued on his slicks, escaping contact with the barrier before switching to intermediates himself.

Alonso would pit again moments later, but, thankfully for his team, had built a big enough margin to remain a few seconds clear of Ocon in second.

From there, Verstappen perhaps took some unnecessary risks as he slid his Red Bull around the circuit despite holding a mighty lead, but the Dutchman escaped a few further brushes of the barrier as he drove into the distance.

With Red Bull having successfully negotiated the track that most thought would provide their biggest challenge of the first half of the season, it is unclear where the end of the winning streak will come.

As for Verstappen, the Dutchman is now in total control of the world championship, having claimed four wins to Perez's two at a series of circuits that were more suited to the Mexican's driving style than most of the upcoming schedule.

Mercedes score solid haul

While Verstappen ensured there was minimal doubt about who was going to win the race, the rain ensured a decent dose of drama behind the front two.

Sainz, who had been frustrated with Ferrari's decision to pit him before the rain had begun falling, appeared to let his emotions get the better of him as he spun to drop several places.

Mercedes, who will look forward to getting a better idea of the impact of the upgrades at the more conventional Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya next week, will be content to have left Monaco with another solid points haul.

They close to within a point of second-placed Aston Martin in the constructors' standings, after Alonso's team-mate Lance Stroll, who started in 14th after a disappointing qualifying, endured an even more torrid Sunday.

Stroll clashed with Williams' Alex Albon on the first lap, and later with Perez, before finally retiring after making heavy contact with a barrier in the wet conditions.

Stroll was not alone in struggling in the wet conditions, but the only other driver to retire was Haas' Kevin Magnussen after he also suffered a shunt.

McLaren will be pleased to leave with both drivers in the points, but might feel Lando Norris could have finished further up the field had it not been for a crash that limited his participation in the final part of qualifying on Saturday.

What's next?

There are only a few days to wait until the 2023 season continues with the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

After the thrills provided by the streets of Monaco, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya offers a first real opportunity to assess the significant upgrades Mercedes have brought to their W14.

Ferrari are also expected to add crucial parts to their SF-23, with both teams hoping to reduce the advantage Red Bull have enjoyed over the opening weeks of the season.

Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Fernando Alonso, who continues his search for an elusive 33rd Formula 1 victory, with his adoring home crowd likely to be buoyed by the 41-year-old's resurgence.