Good morning! As the greatest weekend in motorsports comes to a close, let's try to recap some of the action and controversy - and there was a lot of it!

Weather hindered most of the racing action this weekend but Roger Penske wasn't going to let mother nature rain on his parade as Newgarden won the Indy 500 and Ryan Blaney won the rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600 to complete the weekend sweep!

The showers also came down in Monaco but that didn't stop Verstappen from cruising to an easy victory in Monte Carlo marking Red Bull's sixth win in the first six races of the season.

What is an F1 fans favorite fairy tale?

*Answer at the bottom

F1

Red Bull Rules in the Rain

Verstappen rallied for yet another win at the Monaco Grand Prix, nailing Red Bull's third consecutive victory 🏆 in the principality. Amid tricky weather, Max maintained his lead, while Fernando Alonso secured a solid second 🥈 and Esteban Ocon, finished third 🥉, marking Alpine's first podium of the season.

Weather woes forced strategic calls, with drivers shuffling between tyre choices as rain slicked the track. Verstappen's victory, Alonso's resilience and Ocon's maiden podium, made for a memorable Monaco Grand Prix that had F1 fans on the edge of their seats.

Monte Carlo Money

Red Bull’s Unplanned Reveal

Oops! 🏎️💥 Red Bull's RB19, driven by Sergio Perez, got an unexpected sky-high cameo in Monaco, revealing its closely-guarded underbody aerodynamics to competitors. With the shift to ground-effect rules, such underbody design now contributes an estimated 60% of car performance. Mercedes' Andrew Shovlin said, “the teams will be all over those kinds of photographs.”

Red Bull’s unexpected reveal is certainly raising eyebrows, and probably heart rates, of aerodynamicists across the pitlane. Aston Martin's Tom McCullough stated, “There’s a lot of very excited aerodynamicists...looking at all of that.”

Yet, copying the complex design from photos might be a tricky task, warns Williams’ Dave Robson: "It seems so complex... it doesn't half make it difficult to copy!” 🧩🕵️‍♂️

More F1

🏎️ Hamilton’s Mercedes F1 future never in doubt amid Ferrari rumours - The seven-time world champion reveals why he never considered leaving Mercedes for Ferrari.

👀 Why visceral trackside experience proves Monaco’s F1 worth - A first-hand account of the thrill and spectacle of watching the Monaco Grand Prix live.

🌧️ Aston Martin: Alonso wouldn’t have won Monaco F1 going straight to inters - The team explains why it was not possible to replicate Alonso’s 2008 strategy of switching to intermediate tires early.

👍 We’re going to get there – Wolff convinced Mercedes are on now on the right track after Monaco struggles - The Mercedes boss is optimistic about the team’s chances of bouncing back from a disappointing weekend in Monaco.

NASCAR

The Drought is Over for Blaney

🏁 Ryan Blaney snapped a 59-race winless streak, sprinting to victory in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. 🏎️ Claiming the top spot, he was followed by William Byron, Martin Truex Jr., Bubba Wallace, and Tyler Reddick in the leaderboard. 📊

This victory marks a milestone for Team Penske, scoring both the Indy 500 and Coke 600 wins in the same year for the first time. 🥳

"You start to get to feel like you can’t win any more when you don’t win for a while," confessed Blaney post-race, now enjoying the sweet taste of victory.

⛈️ Kyle Larson's race was not as smooth, crashing with just 26 laps to go.

Next stop: World Wide Technology Raceway on June 4. 🗓️

Tempers Flare for Hamlin, Elliott

A heated collision at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway between Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott left their races cut short 🚗💥. Hamlin likened Elliott's maneuver to a "tantrum," demanding a suspension similar to Bubba Wallace's last year. “He shouldn’t be racing,” said Hamlin, still steaming.

Elliott denied intent, chalking it up to tough racing circumstances. NASCAR is still reviewing the incident.

Allgaier Aces Charlotte

Justin Allgaier nailed his 20th career win in a fuel-frantic NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Originally postponed, the race finally concluded late on Memorial Day 🇺🇸. Despite others' last-minute pit stops ⛽, Allgaier took a risk and sped 7.8 seconds clear of John-Hunter Nemechek.

He quipped, "Playing the long game paid off." This marked JR Motorsports' first 2023 win. Top 5: Allgaier, Nemechek, Cole Custer, Austin Hill, Ty Gibbs.🏁🏆

Rhodes’ Night Ride

Overcoming a lackluster start, Ben Rhodes turned things around at the NASCAR Truck race in Charlotte Motor Speedway, clinching his first 2023 win. The nighttime event saw Rhodes nab the lead by Lap 89, leaving Corey Heim eating dust with a 2.398-second lead. 💨🌙 This win didn't just give Rhodes a hefty $50,000 bonus, it also punched his ticket to the series playoffs. 🎫💰 Rhodes' take on his stellar performance? "It came to life at night. I had so much fun." Others in the top-5 included Heim, Thompson, Hocevar, and Enfinger. 🏁

More NASCAR

🏁 Garage 56 entry one week away from Le Mans debut - NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports will compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and a star-studded driver lineup.

🇦🇺 Van Gisbergen ready for NASCAR challenge - The Supercars champion is gearing up for his NASCAR debut in Chicago.

IndyCar

Newgarden Nabs First 500

Josef Newgarden took his first-ever Indy 500 crown 🏆 in a dramatic finale, overtaking Marcus Ericsson in a last-lap shootout. Despite starting from the 17th spot, Newgarden used the "Dragon" move 🐉 to clinch victory. "I just feel like it was an unfair and dangerous end to the race," Ericsson lamented about the controversial last restart. 🚩

Santino Ferrucci, Alex Palou, and Alexander Rossi rounded out the top five. A host of drivers didn't exactly hide their dissatisfaction, suggesting this year's spectacle may be remembered for more than just Newgarden's win. 🏎️💥

"I'll remember that one," Pato O'Ward said ominously after a late-race collision. 🔄

Peak Payday

The 107th Indianapolis 500 was more than a spectacle 🏎️, it also shattered records in terms of payouts💲. Team Penske's Josef Newgarden raced to victory and bagged a cool $3.666 million from a record-breaking total purse of $17,021,500, the largest in the history of the race. 📈

Mark Miles, CEO of Penske Entertainment, was ecstatic: "This is the greatest race in the world... we have the best end card possible for the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500: a record-breaking purse for the history books.” 🏁

As for the other drivers, average winnings sat at a hefty $500,600. Even second place was a million-dollar affair with Chip Ganassi Racing's Marcus Ericsson taking home $1.043 million. 🥈

This year's Indy 500 was as monumental for the fans, with the second-largest crowd in over two decades, as it was for the drivers' wallets. 🎉

More IndyCar

🛞 IndyCar confirms no injuries from fence-clearing wheel at Indy - A scary incident during the Indy 500 practice session left a wheel flying over the fence, but fortunately no one was hurt.

🔧 Revised Indy aeroscreen progressing toward 2024 debut - IndyCar is working on a new version of the aeroscreen cockpit protection device, which will be lighter and more aerodynamic.

GLOBAL MOTORSPORT

Take a trip to far away motorsport lands

🌱 Le Mans aims for hydrogen-only top class by 2030 - The iconic endurance race plans to phase out hybrid engines and go fully green with hydrogen-powered cars.

🏆 Vanwall drops F1 champion Villeneuve for Le Mans - The historic British team has replaced the 1997 F1 champion with a young driver for its Le Mans debut.

🏁 BTCC turns to Thruxton - The British Touring Car Championship heads to the fastest circuit in the UK for rounds 7, 8 and 9.

🎂 Mr Le Mans named as Grand Marshal for centenary Le Mans 24 Hours - Tom Kristensen, the nine-time winner of the legendary race, will lead the field for the 100th edition of the event.

🇦🇺 Supercars lands new Perth deal - The Australian touring car series has secured a five-year contract to race at the Wanneroo Raceway from 2024.

The Money Lap Podcast | Episode 4

Episode 4 is out NOW! In this episode, they share their personal stories and opinions on everything from Parker’s failure to qualify at North Wilkesboro to Kyle Larson’s dominance at the All-Star Race. They also talk about the latest happenings in F1, Indycar, NASCAR, and more, such as Mercedes’ corporate village, Honda’s comeback to F1, and a revival of a motorsports series that mimics the World Cup. They also debate some controversial topics, such as the state of short track cup racing, the reality of NextGen car, and the short track fight between spotters and drivers at Hickory.

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ONBOARD OF THE DAY

2023 First Lap Indy 500 Onboards

Join a few of the 33 drivers as they tackle the first four corners of the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the opening lap of the 107th Indianapolis 500. Watch the starting action from a compilation of onboards.

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Mansell and Gretel!

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