Monaco F1 Grand Prix unfolds live with unprecedented twists as strategy rules redefine the race, promising drama, surprises, and intense on-track battles.
It’s time for the climax of the Monaco Grand Prix, the eighth round of the 2025 F1 season. This race marks the end of the first third of the year and promises to be especially eventful due to a brand-new regulation.
Drivers will be required to make two pit stops and use three different tyre compounds, which will drastically change the game. Laurent Mekies, Racing Bulls’ team principal, revealed that this increases the number of strategic permutations to 128—so much so that Pirelli didn’t provide optimal strategies, stating only that “everything is in play”!
Teams and drivers starting at the back of the grid could pit twice early and attempt to run to the end without stopping again, or a driver might hold up the leaders to benefit a teammate. Meanwhile, front-runners won’t have the luxury of pitting without falling into traffic.
We recall the disaster David Coulthard faced in 2001 behind Enrique Bernoldi, when the cars were much smaller, and yet his McLaren couldn’t pass the modest Arrows. That scenario is to be avoided at all costs for today’s favourites, which is why Lando Norris foresees the possibility of a surprise winner.
The McLaren driver secured pole ahead of Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri. Max Verstappen starts fourth ahead of Isack Hadjar, the first rookie to start in the top five in Monaco since Lewis Hamilton in 2007.
Fernando Alonso lines up sixth, just ahead of Hamilton, who had qualified fourth but was penalized for impeding Verstappen. Esteban Ocon starts eighth, followed by Liam Lawson and Alex Albon. Carlos Sainz is 11th, ahead of Yuki Tsunoda and Nico Hülkenberg.
Mercedes drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli start 14th and 15th respectively, after suffering a mechanical issue and a crash. Gabriel Bortoleto starts ahead of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto, then Lance Stroll—handed a four-place penalty—and Oliver Bearman, who received a ten-place drop for overtaking under red flag conditions.
Note: Our usual post-race analysis show ‘Grand Prix’ will take place on Wednesday at 8:30 PM, not Monday. It will be live on Twitch, with replays available on YouTube and in podcast format as usual.
14:30: McLaren team principal Andrea Stella expects a chaotic race full of surprises due to the mandatory two stops: “As the weekend approached and our strategists began to examine the implications, they turned out to be far more significant than we had anticipated within the F1 Commission. We’re still scratching our heads to consider all the options—and I think we’ll still be scratching our heads after the race!”
14:32: The FIA has confirmed that a pit stop after the formation lap will not count as one of the two mandatory stops. No loopholes on that front!
14:39: Aston Martin’s Andy Cowell also anticipates a wild race: “It’s going to be more entertaining because ten teams will approach the situation slightly differently.”
14:41: At Mercedes, Simone Berra believes the soft C6 tyre will be key to a strong result: “We found that the C6 can handle a relatively long stint. We’re talking 20 to 30 laps, and the C6 can manage it. So that’s another option for the teams.”
14:52: Air temperature is 22°C, and the track has reached its hottest of the weekend at 44°C! Forecasts indicate no chance of rain during the race.
14:59: Tsunoda is on softs. Verstappen, Alonso, Hamilton, Sainz, Russell, Antonelli, Colapinto and Stroll are on hards. Norris, Leclerc, Piastri, Hadjar, Ocon, Lawson, Albon, Hülkenberg, Bortoleto, Gasly and Bearman have opted for mediums—the most popular choice for the start.
Race Start: Strong start by Norris, but an even better one from Leclerc, forcing the polesitter to lock up, yet he holds onto the lead!
Lap 1: No changes in the top ten, but Bortoleto clips the barrier after a brilliant overtake at the hairpin! He gets going again, but the virtual safety car is deployed.
Lap 2: Tsunoda, Gasly, Bearman and Bortoleto have already pitted! That’s one of the two mandatory stops done! Haas fumble Bearman’s stop. Tsunoda switches to hards, Gasly to mediums, and both Bearman and Bortoleto go onto hards.
Lap 3: The virtual safety car remains in place. Norris sets a fastest lap, although meaningless at this stage. The top ten remain unchanged, as does Sainz. Hülkenberg sits 12th, ahead of both Mercedes drivers, who each gained a place thanks to Tsunoda’s stop. Colapinto and Stroll have also gained positions and now lead the four early stoppers.
Lap 4: The race is still neutralised while the barrier before the tunnel is repaired and debris from the Sauber is cleared. Oliver Bearman has been summoned post-race for leaving the pits during the formation laps under unsafe conditions. And we’re racing again!
Lap 5: Norris leads Leclerc by seven-tenths, while Piastri struggles at the restart, already 2.3s behind Leclerc. Verstappen also drops back, with Hadjar now breathing down his neck.
Lap 6: Norris clocks the fastest lap at 1:18.050, while Piastri is lapping two seconds slower. It raises questions about whether McLaren’s aim is to give Norris a free pit stop early in the race. Verstappen can’t close in on Piastri. Bearman sets a new fastest lap at 1:15.576 and is rapidly catching the pack. Tsunoda and Gasly, meanwhile, are almost back with the midfield group.
Lap 7: Bearman sets another fastest lap with a 1:14.855, while the leaders are running in the 1:19s! The four early stoppers could be making a strategic masterstroke!
Lap 8: Bearman is just nine seconds behind Gasly, who himself has caught up to the pack! Up front, Norris leads Leclerc by two seconds, with another 4.5s back to Piastri. Verstappen is 1.5s behind him, and Hadjar trails by 2.6s. Gasly hits the wall and heads to the pits with a damaged suspension, shedding parts all over the track!
Lap 9: A yellow flag is out, though no safety car yet. The track is littered with debris. The Frenchman missed his braking point and collided with Tsunoda’s Red Bull at the harbour chicane, then nearly collected his own teammate when rejoining!
Lap 10: Despite the debris, race control holds off on deploying a safety car and keeps only a yellow flag. The pit lane is currently closed.
Lap 11: After a confusing sequence, the track is declared clear and the race resumes. Norris leads Leclerc by nine-tenths, with Piastri 2.3 seconds behind the Monegasque. Verstappen complains about being given no space by Piastri and remains tucked behind his rival. Hadjar trails by 2.7 seconds, holding a 3.9-second gap over Alonso. Hamilton, Ocon, Lawson, and Albon continue to complete the provisional top 10.
Lap 12: Gaps remain stable for now, though Verstappen begins to drop slightly behind Piastri as Hadjar edges closer. Alonso questions whether Hadjar respected the yellow flags.
Lap 13: Hülkenberg pits and rejoins in 19th on hard tyres.
Lap 14: Colapinto is the next to pit and returns on medium tyres. The gap between Leclerc and Piastri widens, with the Australian now 3.5 seconds behind the second-placed driver.
Lap 15: Hadjar becomes the first front-runner to pit, rejoining in eighth on soft tyres. Lawson has done an excellent job of holding up the rest of the field, lapping three seconds slower than the leading group.
Lap 16: Norris leads Leclerc by two seconds, with Piastri a further three seconds back. Verstappen is 2.6 seconds behind and holds a four-second buffer over Alonso. Leclerc considers whether to attack or let Norris pull away to preserve a window to strike later, but is instructed to stay with the leader.
Lap 17: Alonso pits, as does Ocon. The Spanish driver rejoins behind Hadjar on hard tyres, while the Frenchman benefits from Lawson’s tactic for Hadjar and emerges in eighth.
Lap 18: Norris sets the fastest lap of the race with a 1:14.659 and holds a 3.4-second lead over Leclerc. Ferrari instructs Hamilton to push, as he now has a 15-second buffer to Verstappen. He, too, had allowed a gap ahead to create a window for attack and to try gaining enough time over the cars behind for a near-free pit stop.
Lap 19: Hamilton finally pits, one lap after Stroll and Bearman, who has already made his second stop. After a strong in-lap, Hamilton rejoins ahead of Hadjar and Alonso, gaining two positions, and he is on hard tyres.
Lap 20: Norris pits and rejoins in fourth, handing the lead to Leclerc, who is now 2.9 seconds ahead of Piastri and 5.8 ahead of Verstappen. Norris comes back out 10 seconds behind the Dutchman, while Hadjar pits again. The Frenchman will lose two places but will have no further stops to make.
Lap 21: Hadjar rejoins in eighth on hard tyres, ahead of the Mercedes and Williams drivers, who were held up by Lawson and have yet to pit. Piastri has pitted and rejoins seven seconds behind Norris, showing the undercut is working well.
Lap 22: Leclerc stays out with a 5.4-second lead over Verstappen. Norris remains 10 seconds behind Verstappen, with Piastri 7.6 seconds behind his teammate. Hamilton follows at 7.5 seconds, and Alonso is 10 seconds ahead of Ocon. Norris, Piastri, Hamilton, Alonso, and Ocon have each made one stop, while Hadjar is eighth having completed both of his.
Lap 23: Leclerc pits, handing the lead to Verstappen. Piastri sets the fastest lap of the race with a 1:13.818 but fails to undercut Leclerc, who rejoins between the two McLarens.
Lap 24: Verstappen stays out, clearly hoping for a safety car. Norris remains ten seconds behind, with Leclerc trailing at 6.4 seconds. Piastri is 2.2 seconds behind Leclerc and is instructed to follow the Monegasque after admitting over the radio that the plan didn’t work during the first stint. Hamilton is 5.9 seconds behind Piastri and holds an 18-second buffer over Alonso, who is holding up Ocon.
Lap 25: The biggest losers so far in this race are Lawson, Albon, Sainz, Russell, and Antonelli, who currently occupy ninth to thirteenth positions and have not yet made a pit stop.
Lap 26: Norris is closing in on Verstappen, now 8.4 seconds behind, with Leclerc trailing the Briton by 6.8 seconds. Further back, Sainz is lapping in 1:20 to create a three-second gap for Albon to gain time, which is going to hurt the Mercedes drivers even more.
Lap 27: Norris continues to push, while Verstappen complains about his tyres. Bortoleto and Colapinto make their second stops, and Bortoleto now faces 50 laps on softs, which is impossible.
Lap 28: Norris cuts the gap to Verstappen to six seconds, and Verstappen pits at the end of the lap.
Lap 29: Verstappen rejoins in fourth between Piastri and Hamilton on medium tyres. Ocon has also pitted and comes back out in tenth behind Albon, having completed both his stops.
The order on Lap 30
Norris, Leclerc, Piastri, Verstappen, Hamilton, Alonso, Hadjar, Lawson, Albon and Ocon.
Lap 30: Norris leads Leclerc by five seconds and holds a 9.4-second gap to Piastri. Verstappen is 13.6 seconds behind the leader, and Hamilton is 16.7 seconds adrift of Norris. Alonso trails by 44 seconds from the front, placing him 27 seconds behind Hamilton, who is set to benefit from a free pit stop.
Lap 31: Leclerc begins to close in on Norris, who had a slow lap due to backmarkers and complained about the lack of blue flags ahead.
Lap 32: Now it’s Leclerc who is being held up, dropping back to over four seconds behind Norris, while Piastri closes to within three seconds of him. Verstappen is three seconds behind the Australian, and Hamilton is 4.5 seconds further back. Behind them, Alonso is 28 seconds adrift.
Lap 33: Alpine has confirmed that Gasly suffered a brake issue. Lawson has pitted and rejoined on soft tyres in tenth, just ahead of Sainz. Verstappen complains about gear shifts, saying they feel “like the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix”! Albon has pitted and rejoins in tenth just ahead of Sainz, who sacrificed his race for his teammate and still needs to stop twice.
Lap 34: Leclerc has lost gro… (text appears to be cut off—please provide the rest of the sentence for completion).
Lap 35: Leclerc is now able to attack, but he and Norris are lapping at the same pace. Piastri is 5.6 seconds behind, with Verstappen 2.5 seconds behind the Australian.
Lap 36: Sainz sacrifices himself once again by lapping three seconds slower than Albon ahead. Bortoleto makes a third stop, raising questions about Sauber’s strategy.
Lap 37: Leclerc closes to within 5.5 seconds of Norris and extends his gap over Piastri, who is now 7.8 seconds behind.
Lap 38: The sacrifices made by drivers like Lawson and Sainz have defined the first half of this race, clearly shown by the fact that ninth place is already a lap down.
Lap 39: Norris leads ahead of Leclerc, Piastri, Verstappen, and Hamilton, with Hadjar in sixth place, followed by Ocon, Lawson, and the Williams drivers. However, Sainz has yet to pit, as have Russell and Antonelli, who are currently running 11th and 12th.
Lap 40: Meanwhile at Alpine, communication issues persist. Gasly denies the team’s statement regarding his crash, and we will bring you all the post-race reactions.
Lap 41: Norris holds a four-second lead after being told by his team to build the gap. Leclerc is 8.6 seconds ahead of Piastri, with Verstappen 2.4 seconds behind the Australian. Hamilton is 16 seconds back and has a 38-second cushion, allowing for an easy second stop. Lawson and Albon also pit and benefit from Sainz’s pace, which allows them to rejoin in eighth and ninth.
Lap 42: Norris extends his advantage slightly to 5.3 seconds. Piastri begins closing in on Leclerc’s Ferrari, which is being slightly held up.
Lap 43: Still without a stop, Sainz, Russell, and Antonelli now appear doomed to finish near the back. Williams swaps positions, and Albon is now set to slow the field so his teammate can pit without losing places.
Lap 44: Albon is now lapping two seconds slower and is holding up the Mercedes drivers.
Lap 45: Piastri has brushed the wall and drops to 8.5 seconds behind Leclerc, who himself is six seconds behind Norris. Verstappen is now 1.6 seconds behind the Australian.
Lap 46: Piastri continues to lose time to Leclerc and now has Verstappen closing in within 1.2 seconds. Albon is letting Sainz pull away at a rate of three seconds per lap, and both drivers could end up in the points, in ninth and tenth positions.
Lap 47: Hülkenberg pits and switches to soft tyres, but he will have to make a third stop. Meanwhile, Norris is catching up to the pack, which is likely to disrupt the front runners.
Lap 48: Albon plays a strong team game and now trails Sainz by 13 seconds. Russell complains about dangerous driving from Albon, saying he is “hitting the brakes at every corner.”
Lap 49: Piastri makes his second stop and comes out in fourth place, 18 seconds behind Verstappen. He is now on hard tyres.
Lap 50: Leclerc pits as well, and Red Bull tells Verstappen to push. Verstappen overtakes Leclerc, who comes out nine seconds behind the Red Bull and nine seconds ahead of Piastri. Sainz makes his first stop, while Russell has overtaken Albon!
Lap 51: Norris also pits and rejoins in second place, five seconds behind Verstappen. Hadjar lacks pace and is losing 2.5 seconds per lap to Hamilton. He is now holding up Ocon. Russell overtook outside track limits and did not give the place back, so he could be penalised.
Lap 52: Verstappen leads Norris by 5.3 seconds but still needs to pit. Norris is on hard tyres with a 2.5-second advantage over Leclerc, who is on mediums. Piastri is 9.2 seconds behind Leclerc on hards, and Hamilton is fifth on hards as well, with over a minute’s gap to Hadjar. Russell opts to serve the five-second penalty and claims Albon is driving erratically.
Lap 53: And Russell makes the right call, already six seconds ahead of Albon. But the damage is done, as Sainz is ahead of him with only one stop, while Albon behind has completed both stops, unlike Russell who has yet to make one.
Lap 54: Norris has closed the gap to Verstappen to three seconds, with Leclerc still 2.5 seconds behind. Piastri is the fastest on track and is now 5.2 seconds behind Leclerc and, more importantly, 11 seconds behind Verstappen, who would rejoin in fourth after a stop—unless aided by a safety car. Informed he has a drive-through penalty, Russell is frustrated: “To be honest… I’d rather not talk.”
Lap 55: Sainz and Russell pit simultaneously and rejoin on mediums and hards, respectively. This will not count as a drive-through for Russell since he changed tyres.
Lap 56: Norris cuts the gap to Verstappen down to 2.2 seconds, with Leclerc now just 1.8 seconds behind the McLaren. Piastri loses time behind backmarkers and is now 7.6 seconds off Leclerc.
Lap 57: Hamilton pits and rejoins in fifth place. Hadjar has unlapped himself and is now on the same lap as the Ferrari, but the top five appears settled.
Lap 58: Norris is within one second of Verstappen, and Leclerc is now also within a second of the McLaren.
Lap 59: Hamilton is 39 seconds behind Piastri and holds a 57-second lead over Hadjar, who is lapping in 1’17.2. Ocon is stuck behind his compatriot and sees Lawson closing in. Sainz is ninth ahead of Russell and Albon, with Antonelli behind them, still yet to make a stop despite fewer than 20 laps remaining.
Lap 60: Verstappen, Norris, and Leclerc are covered by just 1.5 seconds! Verstappen is clearly hoping for a red flag to allow a free tyre change and will likely stop near the end of the race. With only seven seconds over Piastri and 51 over Hamilton, he isn’t at risk of rejoining further back than fourth.
Lap 61: Piastri sets the fastest lap of the race with a 1’13.745 and closes to within 5.2 seconds of Leclerc. Norris is backing off slightly from Verstappen to avoid overheating his tyres.
Lap 62: Piastri continues to gain rapidly, while Norris maintains a two-second gap to Verstappen.
Lap 63: Leclerc is stuck behind Norris but isn’t attacking, as the McLaren driver continues to preserve his tyres by not pushing too hard.
Lap 64: Piastri is now just 3.4 seconds behind Leclerc. Further back, Lawson has closed to within 2.9 seconds of Ocon.
Lap 65: Russell pits again for a tyre change. He rejoins in 11th place but still needs to serve his drive-through penalty. He is ahead of Antonelli, who still has to make two stops.
Lap 66: Norris holds a two-second buffer to maintain clean air behind Verstappen, while Leclerc complains that the McLaren is too slow. Piastri is taking advantage, now just 2.7 seconds behind the Ferrari. With Russell having pitted, Williams swaps positions again and Albon regains his spot after helping his teammate stay in tenth. Antonelli is lapping five seconds slower than Russell to give the Brit a “free” drive-through!
Lap 67: Verstappen is still waiting to pit, with Norris now just 1.4 seconds behind.
Lap 68: Piastri closes to within 2.4 seconds of Leclerc, as both he and Norris catch up once again to Verstappen.
Lap 69: Verstappen complains that his left-side tyres are “completely dead.” Antonelli has already conceded nearly 20 seconds to Russell.
Lap 70: Verstappen is lapping in 1’16, holding up Norris, who in turn is blocking Leclerc. Russell sets the fastest lap of the race with a 1’13.483. Norris calls for help: “Where’s Oscar? I need him to put pressure on Charles.”
Lap 71: Verstappen stays out, and Norris says he’s being held up and isn’t even attacking. Russell comes into the pits again to serve his drive-through penalty and rejoins in 11th place without losing position. Antonelli makes his first stop.
Lap 72: Norris eases off to cool his tyres and allow Piastri to close the gap. The top four are now covered by just three seconds, but Verstappen still has to make another stop.
Lap 73: Verstappen remains in the lead with over a two-second margin, while Leclerc is just four tenths behind Norris. Piastri is within a second of Leclerc. Notably, Tsunoda—who pitted on the first lap—still needs to complete his second stop.
Lap 74: The gaps remain extremely tight, but the McLarens and Leclerc are biding their time, waiting for Verstappen’s pit stop—assuming he doesn’t leave it until the very last lap.
Lap 75: Leclerc reports that Norris is making several mistakes, but the Brit is still holding position ahead of him.
Lap 76: Verstappen leads ahead of Norris and Leclerc. Antonelli has completed his second stop and is now three laps down on the leaders. Tsunoda pits and rejoins second to last. Russell sets a new fastest lap of the race with a 1’13.405.
Lap 77: We’re on the penultimate lap, and Verstappen still hasn’t pitted! He is set to stop at the end of this lap, while Norris continues to hold off Leclerc and Piastri. And indeed, Verstappen dives into the pits at the end of the lap.
Final lap: As expected, the Dutchman rejoins in fourth on soft tyres. Norris inherits the lead with a 1.6-second gap to Leclerc and 2.9 seconds to Piastri.
2025 F1 Monaco Grand Prix – Race Results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Laps |
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren F1 Team | 78 laps |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari HP | +3.131s |
| 3 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren F1 Team | +3.658s |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Oracle Red Bull Racing | +20.572s |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Scuderia Ferrari HP | +51.387s |
| 6 | Isack Hadjar | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | +1 laps |
| 7 | Esteban Ocon | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | +1 laps |
| 8 | Liam Lawson | Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team | +1 laps |
| 9 | Alex Albon | Atlassian Williams Racing | +2 laps |
| 10 | Carlos Sainz | Atlassian Williams Racing | +2 laps |
| 11 | George Russell | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | +2 laps |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | +2 laps |
| 13 | Franco Colapinto | BWT Alpine F1 Team | +2 laps |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | +2 laps |
| 15 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | +2 laps |
| 16 | Nico Hulkenberg | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | +2 laps |
| 17 | Yuki Tsunoda | Oracle Red Bull Racing | +2 laps |
| 18 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | +2 laps |
| DNF | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 37 laps |
| DNF | Pierre Gasly | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 9 laps |
- Discover More>Hamilton: Piastri, Norris face ‘unimaginable’ pressure
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