The streets of Monte Carlo shimmered in the spring sun, and the Mediterranean breeze whispered through the harbour as anticipation built for the 2025 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.
Crowds packed balconies, yachts, and grandstands as the most iconic race of the year promised a battle of brilliance and bravery on the narrow ribbon of tarmac winding through Monte Carlo.
From pole position, Lando Norris sat calmly in his McLaren, eyes forward, knowing that in Monaco, track position is king, but the strategy this year would be no less crucial.
For the first time in Monaco, teams were required to complete two pit stops, setting the stage for a high-stakes chess match between the walls.
As the lights went out, Norris made a sharp getaway but locked up into Sainte Dévote while defending against local hero Charles Leclerc. The McLaren kept its nose in front as the field swept uphill cleanly through Beau Rivage until chaos struck at the back.
Gabriel Bortoleto, making his Monaco debut for Kick Sauber, collided with the barriers on the opening lap, triggering a Virtual Safety Car.
Bortoleto claimed over the radio that Kimi Antonelli pushed him off, but race control deemed it a racing incident and let the matter go. Bortoleto was able to put his car in reverse and limp back to the pits, where the team checked his car and sent him back out.
The early VSC prompted a few brave strategy calls. Yuki Tsunoda, Pierre Gasly, and Oliver Bearman pitted to take advantage of the ‘cheap’ pit stop. When the race resumed on lap four, Norris led Leclerc and Oscar Piastri, all three on medium tyres, with Max Verstappen looming behind on the hard compound.
Several others had mirrored their tyre strategy choices—Hadjar, Ocon, Lawson, Albon, Hulkenberg, and Gasly also opted for mediums—while the Red Bull of Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Hamilton, Sainz, and a clutch of others started on hards, clearly eyeing a longer first stint.
But any plans Gasly had quickly unravelled. A few laps later, the Frenchman dramatically rear-ended Tsunoda into the Nouvelle Chicane. “I’ve got no brakes,” he reported in a panic.
He limped into the pit lane with no front wing and severe damage to the left front of his car, needing to be physically stopped by the mechanics in a dangerous situation. His race was over—an early and violent end to his afternoon.
By lap 12, Norris was still in control, leading Leclerc with a slim buffer as Piastri slipped over two seconds back, defending his podium spot from Verstappen. The order remained largely stable up front, but Liam Lawson was driving a smart, mature race in the midfield.
In his first Q3 appearance of the season, the young Kiwi had started ninth and retained position through the early scuffles. Though he was 14 seconds behind Esteban Ocon in eighth, he had a train of cars forming behind, with Alex Albon giving him no breathing room.
Racing Bulls rolled the dice on the strategy with their two drivers. Pitting the Hajdar on lap 15 for softs. It was a bold call but it paid off thanks to the a commendable team effort from Lawson.
As part of a clever team strategy, Lawson deliberately backed up the field to create a DRS train, giving Hadjar the breathing room he needed to complete both pit stops without threat of undercut or position loss. It was a brilliantly executed team effort.
Hadjar emerged just ahead of Lawson and began putting in strong laps on the faster rubber. Then, just five laps later, Hadjar pitted again, his second and final mandatory stop, switching to hards to see him go until the end. He once again rejoined ahead of Lawson. It was a masterstroke by the team.
Up front, Norris made his first stop on lap 20, handing the lead briefly to Leclerc. Verstappen cycled into the lead as the frontrunners filtered through their first stops. But McLaren and Ferrari weren’t panicked.
When Verstappen came in on lap 29, Norris was back at the head of the field, with a five-second gap to Leclerc. Piastri held onto third, just ahead of Verstappen and a distant Hamilton in fifth.
Lawson made his first stop on lap 33, bolting on soft tyres and rejoining in tenth, just ahead of Carlos Sainz and narrowly ahead of Albon, who had pitted moments later.
The Kiwi had lost only one place and remained on course for points, his Racing Bulls looking confident and well-balanced around the twisty streets.
As the laps ticked down, Alonso became the second retirement. On lap 39, smoke began wafting from the rear of his Aston Martin. The Spaniard pulled off the track swiftly, avoiding a full safety car, and the race stayed green. At the halfway mark, with pit stops still aplenty, only eight cars remained on the lead lap.
On lap 42, Lawson and Albon made their second and final pit stops, both opting for hard tyres to take them to the end. Lawson rejoined in eighth, again just ahead of Albon, and would remain unchallenged from behind as Sainz was over 40 seconds adrift.
As the final round of stops approached, Norris maintained a six-second buffer over Leclerc. Piastri was a further eight seconds behind, with Verstappen within DRS range of the Australian.
On lap 49, Piastri came in for his final stop and rejoined just behind Leclerc, who pitted a lap later and retained third ahead of the McLaren. The top four were slightly reshuffled.
Norris leading with a 13-second advantage over Verstappen, who hadn’t yet made his final stop, followed by Leclerc and Piastri.
Mercedes’ race had fallen apart entirely. Russell, still yet to pit, had earned a drive-through penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage in a battle with Albon.
Russell finally stopped on lap 64, the same lap that Norris and Leclerc resumed their thrilling duel. Leclerc, on medium tyres, had the advantage over Norris, who was now on hards and slowing, likely saving his tyres for the final lap battles.
Verstappen, still leading but unable to push, struggled visibly with tyre wear.
With thirteen laps to go, Norris found himself sandwiched between a slowly fading Verstappen and a rapidly closing Leclerc. Piastri remained in fourth, not close enough to pressure Leclerc but staying within touch.
Hamilton, far back in fifth, was nearly 50 seconds adrift. Behind them, Hadjar continued to deliver the drive of his young career in sixth, while Ocon ran solidly in seventh.
Lawson, still eighth, was inching closer to Ocon, but the nature of the Monaco circuit made passing nearly impossible, even with fresher tyres.
The final laps were breathless. With five laps to go, Verstappen still hadn’t pitted. His left-side tyres were gone, and he backed the pack into a frenzy.
Norris was all over Red Bull’s gearbox but didn’t want to risk making a move, knowing Verstappen still needed to complete his final pit stop. He remained calm and composed.
Behind, Leclerc was becoming anxious, sensing a home podium and maybe more. The four leaders were locked together, less than four seconds covering the four drivers.
Tsunoda and Antonelli pitted to fulfil their final stop obligations, rejoining near the back. Red Bull was still hoping for a safety car for Verstappen, but it never came.
Verstappen finally came into the pits on the final lap with no other option. Norris was unleashed, and he flew.
Norris secured the lead and stormed away, setting the fastest lap of the Grand Prix in the process. He crossed the line with a three-second margin over Leclerc. Piastri completed a sensational day for McLaren by finishing third. Verstappen salvaged fourth, just ahead of Hamilton.
Behind them, Hadjar brought it home in sixth, a career-best finish and Ocon held on to seventh. Lawson, in a calm, calculated drive, took eighth and scored valuable points in what was also the best result of his Formula 1 career. Lawson has just moved to Monaco, so it’s a great way to celebrate his arrival in the beautiful city.
“It’s great. It’s not often you have a plan and it executes perfectly and today to have done that is that great,” he said after the race.
“From a team side it’s really cool to have two drivers in the points.”
Lawson talked about how it was a challenge to focus on driving strategically for Hadjar rather than simply pushing flat out. According to him, the team had prioritised Hadjar as the lead driver following qualifying.
Albon and Sainz rounded out the top ten, making it a double points haul for both Racing Bulls and Williams.
It was a tactical, cerebral Monaco Grand Prix, laced with tension and punctuated by moments of brilliance. In the end, it was Norris who conquered it all.
Strategy, pressure, rivals, and the unforgiving streets, to etch his name into the most exclusive winner’s club in Formula 1 and close in on Piastri in the driver’s standings by just 3 points.
Formula 1 heads to Barcelona next weekend for the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with championship momentum shifting in Norris’ favour. If Monaco was any indication, the 2025 season is far from settled—drama is brewing, and the title fight remains wide open.
Header Image: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
