Lando Norris brings home the win at the 2025 F1 Monaco GP Race, followed by Charles Leclerc and teammate, Oscar Piastri.
The sun shone brightly over the glamorous principality of Monaco as the 2025 Formula 1 season arrived at its most prestigious venue. With the Mediterranean harbour packed with super yachts and celebrities filling the grandstands, all eyes were on the 20 drivers preparing for 78 laps of racing on the narrow streets that make this circuit legendary.
Qualifying and grid position for the 2025 F1 Monaco GP Race
Lando Norris secured his second pole position of the season, marking his return to the front row since his victory in Australia earlier in the year. The McLaren driver posted a blistering lap time of 1:09.954, edging out local favourite Charles Leclerc by just one tenth of a second.
Leclerc, despite dominating all three practice sessions and the first qualifying segment, had to settle for second place on the grid—his best starting position of 2025. The Monégasque driver was keen to repeat his home victory from the previous year.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri found himself in third, though his weekend had been far from smooth. Multiple encounters with the barriers throughout practice had left the Australian admitting he’d “hit more walls this weekend than in my whole career,” yet he still managed to secure a competitive grid position.
Lewis Hamilton’s qualifying session ended in disappointment after a practice crash required his team to rebuild his car overnight. A subsequent penalty for impeding Max Verstappen during qualifying dropped him from fourth to seventh on the grid, adding further complications to his weekend.
Race start and early drama
When the lights went out, Norris maintained his advantage despite locking up into the first corner at Sainte Devote. The top four positions remained unchanged as the field navigated the opening sequence of turns successfully.
However, drama struck quickly when Gabriel Bortoleto crashed at the tunnel entrance after an aggressive move from Franco Colapinto. The Brazilian managed to reverse his car away from the barriers, but the incident brought out the Virtual Safety Car period, prompting several drivers to make opportunistic pit stops.
Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda, and Oliver Bearman all took advantage of the reduced racing speeds to change tyres. However, Bearman’s stop was compromised when his tyres weren’t prepared in time, costing him valuable track position.
Strategic battles unfold
As the VSC period ended on lap four, the strategic element of Monaco began to reveal itself. With pit stop time losses of around 19 seconds, teams had to carefully time their moves to maintain track position on the notoriously difficult-to-overtake circuit.
The race’s complexion changed dramatically on lap nine when Gasly crashed into the back of Tsunoda at the Nouvelle Chicane. The Alpine driver appeared to lose control under braking, collecting the Red Bull and leaving debris scattered across the track. Both drivers would later face stewards’ investigations for the incident.
The crash temporarily closed the pit lane, adding another strategic wrinkle as teams were forced to wait before servicing their cars. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen used the confusion to mount pressure on Piastri, though the Australian’s defensive driving kept the Dutchman at bay.
Pit stop windows open
The first major round of pit stops began around lap 13, with various teams choosing different approaches. Nico Hülkenberg was among the early stoppers, switching from medium to hard compounds and emerging in clear air.
The strategic picture became clearer when Norris finally pitted from the lead on lap 20. His 2.7-second stop saw him rejoin in fourth place, temporarily handing the race lead to Leclerc, who continued running.
McLaren immediately brought in Piastri to attempt an undercut on the Ferrari driver, but a slow 3.8-second stop gave Leclerc breathing room. When the Ferrari eventually pitted on lap 23 with a clean 2.0-second service, he emerged between the two McLaren drivers, maintaining his crucial track position.
Perhaps the most intriguing strategic element came from Verstappen’s approach. The Red Bull driver extended his first stint significantly longer than his rivals, building up enough of a gap to potentially jump ahead after his pit stop.
When Verstappen finally pitted on lap 29, he rejoined just behind Piastri, setting up an interesting battle for the remaining positions. The Dutchman’s choice of medium tyres for his second stint suggested Red Bull were planning a two-stop strategy, in contrast to the single additional stops needed by most of their rivals.
Team tactics and controversy
The midfield saw extensive use of team tactics, particularly from Williams. The team employed Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon in a coordinated strategy designed to maximise their points potential, with one driver deliberately backing up competitors to create strategic opportunities for his teammate.
These tactics created controversy when George Russell attempted to overtake Albon by cutting the chicane. Despite being instructed to return the position, Russell initially refused, stating he would accept any penalty. The stewards were not impressed, handing him a drive-through penalty that effectively ended his chances of a points finish.
Similar incidents followed with other drivers attempting the same move, though their teams were quicker to instruct position returns, avoiding further penalties.
The final phase
As the race entered its closing stages, Verstappen found himself leading but still needing a second pit stop. The Red Bull team attempted to delay this as long as possible, hoping for a safety car that never materialised.
With regulations requiring all drivers to complete their mandatory second stops or face disqualification, Verstappen was forced to pit with just laps remaining. This strategic delay had successfully disrupted the rhythm of the cars behind, keeping Norris under pressure from Leclerc throughout the closing stages.
Lando Norris claimed a masterful victory, successfully managing pressure from Leclerc throughout the final stint. The Monégasque driver secured second place, ensuring a podium celebration for the passionate local supporters. Piastri completed the podium in third, with Verstappen’s delayed pit strategy earning him fourth place ahead of Hamilton’s recovery drive to fifth.
2025 F1 Monaco GP Race results
- Norris
- Leclerc
- Piastri
- Verstappen
- Hamilton
- Hadjar
- Ocon
- Lawson
- Albon
- Sainz
- Russell
- Bearman
- Colapinto
- Bortoleto
- Stroll
- Hülkenberg
- Tsunoda
- Antonelli
- Alonso (DNF)
- Gasly (DNF)
