Discover the key qualifying moments from the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix as Lando Norris claims pole and Verstappen, Mercedes struggle again.
Verstappen admits RB21 struggles
The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix exposed the structural weaknesses of the Red Bull RB21, with Max Verstappen relegated to an uncharacteristic fourth place on the grid, despite a penalty given to Lewis Hamilton.
The four-time world champion admitted that persistent issues with his car in low-speed corners and over kerbs prevented any real progress on this demanding circuit.
“No matter the setup, the car doesn’t work at low speed,” said Verstappen, visibly frustrated after qualifying.
This recurring issue, dating back to 2022, resurfaced once again in Monaco, with a lack of mechanical grip and trouble handling the circuit’s unique compressions.
The result was a 0.7-second gap to pole, Red Bull’s largest deficit of the season.
The Dutchman has few illusions about the race. Despite showing promising pace at times, he is relying on a two-stop strategy – mandated by new regulations – to create an opportunity.
But in Monaco, where overtaking is nearly impossible, everything will depend on favourable circumstances.
On the other side of the garage, Yuki Tsunoda’s optimism from practice quickly faded.
The Japanese driver was knocked out in Q2, citing traffic and a lack of clean laps as the main reasons for his underwhelming performance.
While Red Bull remains a front-running team in 2025, the Monaco weekend was a reminder that its weaknesses persist in certain conditions.
Unable to fight on pure pace, Verstappen and the team must rely on strategy and perhaps a bit of luck to shine on Sunday.
McLaren surprises Ferrari on historic ground
The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix delivered an unexpectedly close qualifying session, ending with a masterful pole position from Lando Norris.
The McLaren driver edged out Charles Leclerc by 0.109 seconds, pulling off a feat on a circuit where Ferrari has traditionally thrived and where McLaren had yet to find the formula.
Leclerc, impressive throughout the practice sessions – particularly through the fearsome Tabac corner – looked the favourite.
His Ferrari, strong under acceleration and effective over the bumps, held the advantage on paper.
But when it counted, Norris made the most of a car better balanced under braking, especially in tight corners like Mirabeau.
The Monegasque lost vital tenths in the final sector, likely due to overheating rear tyres.
McLaren also shone strategically in Q3, using a “push-cool-push” run plan that allowed better thermal management of the tyres.
Ferrari opted for shorter stints with fresher tyres but lacked the same consistency.
On a human level, Norris’s composure made the difference, while his teammate Oscar Piastri, who qualified third, made a few errors.
Leclerc, meanwhile, was held up by Verstappen during his first Q3 run, possibly affecting his confidence.
Further back, tensions escalated: Hamilton was penalised for impeding Verstappen, moving the Red Bull driver up to fourth despite his car’s struggles.
Lando Norris, pole of maturity
On a circuit as iconic as it is unforgiving, Lando Norris claimed a symbolic pole position at the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix, his first since the season opener in Australia.
With a perfectly executed final lap, he edged out local favourite Charles Leclerc and confirmed a clear resurgence after weeks of doubt.
This qualifying success did not come from outright speed but from a smarter, more composed approach.
Norris admitted as much himself: he wasn’t faster than before, just more in control. After a series of Q3 mistakes, particularly in Saudi Arabia, he finally pieced everything together to deliver a lap that mattered most on a track where every detail counts.
This turning point is the result of thorough work with his engineers.
McLaren, without waiting for major upgrades to the MCL39, adjusted their technical approach to better suit Norris’s feedback and needs, particularly regarding confidence and feel.
Team principal Andrea Stella praised the performance, highlighting Norris’s consistency throughout qualifying.
And according to him, there is still untapped potential, noting that Norris left time on the table in the final sector of his pole lap.
Despite the achievement, the Briton remains grounded. He knows consistency is key if he wants to establish himself permanently among the front-runners. “It’s just one weekend,” he cautioned.
With Monaco as a potential turning point, Norris appears to have reached a new level mentally, and that may matter more than the stopwatch.
Williams and Sainz looking for answers
The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix brought a sudden halt to Carlos Sainz’s momentum at Williams, as he was eliminated in Q2 after three consecutive top-six qualifying results.
The Spanish driver endured a frustrating weekend, hampered by a lack of rhythm and a loss of confidence, which he attributed to excessive setup changes. On a street circuit as demanding as Monaco, stability and trust in the car are essential.
Williams attempted an ambitious strategy in Q2, sending both drivers out on medium tyres (C5) before switching back to softs (C6).
This inconsistency in tyre choice unsettled Sainz further, who felt it would have been wiser to stick with a single compound to maximise performance.
Meanwhile, Alex Albon reached Q3 but could do no better than tenth, posting a slower time than in Q2.
He pointed to the tyres’ sensitivity to temperature, describing them as being “in the window, then out of the window.”
Technically, the verdict is clear: Williams struggled to understand its car under these specific conditions.
The car’s unpredictable behaviour depending on tyres and run plans penalised both drivers, especially on a street circuit like Monaco, where consistency is critical.
Nonetheless, Sainz remains optimistic about the race. He feels more comfortable in long-run conditions with a heavier fuel load and a more stable car.
He hopes to climb back into the points with an aggressive strategy. Albon, more cautious, warned of significant graining risk even with the mandatory two-stop rule.
Mercedes hits rock bottom in qualifying
The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session was a nightmare for Mercedes, with both George Russell (14th) and Kimi Antonelli (15th) eliminated early.
Team boss Toto Wolff called it “disastrous,” a sentiment echoed by many after such an unexpected collapse.
Russell, confident after a promising Q1 despite running on used tyres, saw his top-five hopes vanish within moments of Q2.
An electrical failure abruptly ended his session, possibly triggered by a bump on the circuit that he had flagged earlier in the weekend.
Frustrated, Russell believed he had the pace to compete at the front and had saved two sets of hard tyres (C4) to play an aggressive strategy on race day.
But in Monaco, with overtaking nearly impossible, even tyre advantages can be nullified. Mercedes had not planned for such a low grid position, with no recovery strategy in place.
Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli caused a red flag in Q1 after clipping the wall at the Nouvelle Chicane. He admitted the error was avoidable, especially as he already believed he had a time good enough to progress.
A slight impact on the left side damaged the front-left corner, making the car undrivable.
In summary, Mercedes endured one of its worst Saturdays of the season.
Between technical failure and rookie error, the team must now hope for a chaotic race and flawless execution to salvage any meaningful result on the streets of Monaco.
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