Lando Norris held off intense pressure from local hero Charles Leclerc and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to secure F1 Monaco win.
The McLaren driver converted pole position into his second win of the 2025 F1 season as the race, reshaped by a new mandatory two-stop rule, unfolded with high drama, strategic gambles, and a thrilling finish that saw Norris cut Piastri’s championship lead to just three points.
From the moment the lights went out, Lando Norris was under immediate pressure as Charles Leclerc who started from second launched a fierce attack into Sainte Devote.
Norris survived a massive lock-up at the first corner, a heart-stopping moment that could have ended his race prematurely. Instead, the Briton kept his composure, emerging unscathed and maintaining his lead.
The early laps were punctuated by a Virtual Safety Car triggered by Gabriel Bortoleto’s crash into the barriers which forced several backmarkers to pit earlier than planned due to the new regulation.
Full F1 Monaco Grand Prix 2025 Results
This intervention added an extra layer of complexity to the Monaco Grand Prix race as teams scrambled to adjust their strategies around the mandated two-stop requirement.
Pierre Gasly’s race ended on Lap 8 after he crashed into Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull at the Nouvelle Chicane, damaging his left front suspension. He proceeded on to the run-off and almost took out Franco Colapinto in the sister Alpine.
Norris and Leclerc quickly established a gap over the rest of the field with Piastri and Max Verstappen following closely behind. The front-runners adopted different tyre strategies with Norris making his first stop on Lap 19 to switch from medium to hard tyres.
Piastri mirrored his teammate’s move while Leclerc temporarily inherited the lead before making his own stop. Verstappen, however, opted for a longer first stint – a decision that would later play a crucial role in the race’s narrative.
Throughout the middle phase of the race, Norris maintained control despite Leclerc’s relentless pursuit. The Ferrari driver applied significant pressure at various stages, particularly during the initial run to Sainte Devote and again in the closing laps when Verstappen, running on an alternate strategy, temporarily led the race after extending his stints.
Verstappen’s Red Bull found itself at the head of the pack into the very closing stages but the Dutchman was forced to make his second mandatory stop with just one lap remaining, dropping him to fourth place and handing the lead back to Norris.
The final laps were a test of nerve as Norris had to contend with Leclerc’s late-race charge, as the Monegasque driver looked to capitalize on any mistake from the McLaren. Piastri, meanwhile, remained within striking distance ensuring that the podium was a closely contested affair.
Norris ultimately crossed the line first to claim F1 Monaco win just over three seconds ahead of Leclerc, with Piastri a further half-second behind. The top three were separated by less than 1.5 seconds for much of the race, highlighting the intensity and competitiveness of the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix.
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Behind the podium finishers, Max Verstappen’s gamble on an off-set strategy saw him finish fourth, ahead of Lewis Hamilton who made significant progress from his seventh-place grid slot to finish fifth, the only driver in the top five to gain positions during the race.
Further down the order, rookie Isack Hadjar delivered the best result of his Formula 1 career with an impressive sixth place for Racing Bulls.
Esteban Ocon brought his Haas home in seventh, while Liam Lawson scored his first points of the season with eighth place, ensuring a double top-10 finish for Racing Bulls.
The Williams duo of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz completed the points-paying positions in ninth and tenth, respectively.
