The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix roared to life beneath sun-soaked skies and beside a harbour glittering with superyachts as Formula 1 returned to the most iconic street circuit on the calendar.
While the glamour remained intact, the first practice session proved anything but serene; from early crashes to last-minute flyers, Free Practice 1 offered a dramatic opening chapter in the sport’s return to the Principality.
For Kiwi fans, all eyes were on Liam Lawson, who made his long-awaited Formula 1 debut at Monaco – a track that holds both triumph and heartbreak in his racing memory.
It had been four years since Lawson last raced in Monaco, on a day in 2021 when he crossed the finish line first in Formula 2.
However, he was disqualified post-race after a steering wheel map setting was found to be incorrect at the start. Despite adjusting the setting moments shortly after the start line after losing ground in the opening laps, the infringement saw his win stripped.
In 2025, Lawson returned with redemption on his mind, this time behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.
Unfortunately, his Monaco FP1 debut was anything but straightforward.
Barely minutes into the session, local hero Charles Leclerc collided with Lance Stroll, triggering front wing and floor damage for the Ferrari and heavy damage to the rear diffuser and floor of the Aston Martin. The yellow flags soon turned red as marshals cleared debris from the racing line.
The stewards later assigned full blame to Stroll, handing him a one-place grid penalty for the race and a penalty point on his super licence. Despite being warned by his team over the radio, Stroll claimed he hadn’t heard the message alerting him to Leclerc’s approach.
With 45 minutes remaining, the session resumed — and so did the chaos.
Teams took a variety of approaches to the hour-long session. McLaren, Mercedes, and Aston Martin ran the soft compound; Ferrari, Red Bull, and Kick Sauber stuck with mediums, while Racing Bulls, Haas, Alpine and Williams went long on the hard tyres.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton led the timing sheets in the early exchanges. Hamilton looked particularly sharp, setting a benchmark of 1:14.657 before the red flag, just ahead of Verstappen.
Once back on track, Ferrari’s mechanics completed a remarkable 10-minute floor change, allowing Leclerc to return to the session on soft tyres. In contrast, Stroll’s damage ruled him out entirely.
Once back on track, Ferrari’s mechanics completed a remarkable 10-minute floor change, allowing Leclerc to return to the session on soft tyres. In contrast, Stroll’s damage ruled him out entirely.
“I nearly hit Hamilton; he braked right before the last corner,” Lawson reported over team radio.
“Yeah, usual Hamilton stuff, that’s okay,” came the reply from his team.
Hamilton was attempting to back off from traffic ahead and create space for a flying lap. It was a typical Monaco move, but Lawson, still reacquainting himself with the narrow confines of the circuit, was caught unaware.
Adding to his woes, Lawson was soon on the radio again:
“I smell brakes in here, really bad,” he said before pitting.
His early lap times reflected the uphill battle. With half the session gone, he was over 2.7 seconds off the pace and one second adrift of teammate Isack Hadjar. He was also the fourth-fastest rookie out of six, with all six in the bottom 10.
However, top rookie Kimi Antonelli was only two tenths up the road, suggesting the midfield pack remained tightly bunched and rookies were struggling with the tight-knit circuit.
As the session progressed, McLaren’s Lando Norris set a stunning lap time of 1:13.036 before teammate Oscar Piastri edged ahead by five thousandths of a second.
Hamilton then reasserted his presence with a 1:12.846 lap on mediums, going fastest ahead of three soft-tyred rivals — Leclerc, Piastri, and Norris.
But Norris wasn’t done yet. The Briton pulled a stunner, improving by eight tenths and reclaiming the top spot with a 1:12.290 — a full half second ahead of the field.
Lawson continued to make gains. With just under half an hour remaining, he posted his best lap of the day, a 1:13.587 lap time, bringing him to within 1.6 seconds of the front and just under two-tenths behind Hadjar.
Hamilton had another hairy moment in the final 10 minutes of the session, hitting an inside barrier and going airborne after launching over the kerbs before boxing the car and lamenting traffic over the radio.
In a final effort, Lawson improved by another two-tenths, finishing the session 17th, narrowly behind Hadjar in 13th. Importantly, Lawson ran medium tyres at the end while most of the grid had switched to softs — suggesting there’s more time to find as the weekend unfolds.
As the session concluded, Leclerc redeemed his early misfortune, flying to the top with a 1:11.964. Verstappen followed in second, just under two-tenths adrift, marking the first time he’s appeared in the top three of an FP1 session this season.
Williams impressed again, with Alex Albon finishing fourth and Carlos Sainz seventh. Rookie standout Kimi Antonelli ended 11th, the top rookie of the day.
FP1 Final Top 10:
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:11.964
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.163
- Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.326
- Alex Albon (Williams) +0.350
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.378
- George Russell (Mercedes) +0.518
- Carlos Sainz (Williams) +0.570
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine) + 0.705
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.726
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.763
For Lawson, FP1 was a test of endurance and patience — a baptism of fire in the tight walls of Monaco. Still adjusting to the car, battling brake issues and managing traffic chaos, the Kiwi showed grit and improvement, finishing just two-tenths shy of his teammate on less favourable tyres.
With two more practice sessions to come, Lawson will aim to build on this solid base and push further up the grid. If Monaco is about learning fast and staying clean, Lawson’s return, while rocky, may yet shape into a powerful weekend comeback.
Header Image: Steven Tee/Getty Images via Red Bull Content Pool
