Showdown in Monaco! Race Review

The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix delivered on its typical promises. While the spectacle of Monte Carlo remains unmatched, the on-track action again divided opinion - even with the introduction of a new mandatory two-stop rule.

Norris Claims Maiden Monaco Victory

Lando Norris has been taking a beating in the press in recent weeks. He has been lackluster in qualifying and his race craft has been below par for someone looking to win a maiden championship. However... Lando put some of those criticisms to bay at Monaco. He took a hard-fought and historic first win at the principality, starting from pole and withstanding relentless pressure from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc thanks to Max Verstappen’s slow driving at the front (more on that later). Norris still managed the race well and didn’t put a foot wrong, surviving a tense final stint as Leclerc, cheered on by his home crowd, charged. Despite a lock-up at Sainte Devote on the opening lap, Norris never relinquished the net lead. Fortune also favored him this time as none of his rivals got a free pit stop under a safety car or red flag – always a huge factor on street circuits.

Race Highlights

As the race settled, the leaders were locked in a high-speed stalemate. Norris, Leclerc, and Piastri circulated within a second and a half of each other for much of the afternoon, each waiting for a mistake or a strategic opening. The midfield was tense but in an uneasy manner, with Williams and Haas also employing team tactics with the 2^nd driver driving slowly to protect points positions. Hamilton took 5^th in a race where he was relegated to playing second fiddle for much of the 78 laps – not the ideal use of the talents of a 7-time world champion but the best use Ferrari could put him to at Monaco this year. 

Isack Hadjar continued to impress by finishing in 6^th after a great qualifying outing on Saturday. Ocon took 7^th. Liam Lawson for once wasn’t too far from his teammate Hadjar and finished in 8^th ahead of Williams duo Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz who took the final points-scoring positions. Mercedes had a rare pointsless outing while Alpine, Sauber and Aston Martin continued their poor run. Alonso’s rants on the radio continue to be entertaining but Aston Martin needs to step up promptly.

New Two-Stop Rule to Shake Things Up

Speaking about pit stops, Formula 1 introduced a mandatory two-stop rule at Monaco in an attempt to inject more unpredictability. This was in response to the usual complaints of a "procession." A red flag on lap 1 meant that everyone changed tires immediately. The low speeds around the streets of Monaco meant that no one needed to pit again for the rest of the race. This resulted in strategy – the only real way to make up places around here – being a non-factor. While the field was shuffled by pit stop timing and virtual safety car interventions - such as Pierre Gasly’s Lap 9 incident - the rule led teams to focus on strategy over racing. 

Multiple drivers like Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton drove slowly to create a gap for their teammates, who had qualified higher, to be able to make a pit stop and still avoid traffic. Overtaking remained nearly impossible, and much of the drama played out in how slowly some of the drivers could drive around the track – definitely not something fans wanted to see for 78 laps. 

Verstappen did try his best to shake things up by delaying his second pit stop. He inherited the lead of the race after all the leaders pitted for a second time. Understandably, he and Red Bull were hoping for a safety car or a red flag that would give him a free pit stop and the race win which didn't quite pan out. As a last ditch effort, Max did try to back Norris into Leclerc to manufacture pressure but that too failed to yield results.

Championship Implications

A big positive out of the weekend is the long-term effect on the championship battle. Norris’s victory narrows the gap to Piastri in the Drivers’ Championship to just three points, setting up a tantalizing intra-team fight as the season heads into the European summer.

Incidents and Retirements: Limited but Costly

Unlike many previous Monaco races, the 2025 edition was remarkably clean at the front. The only retirements of note were Pierre Gasly, who crashed out after a failed overtaking attempt, and Fernando Alonso, whose engine gave up just after the halfway mark. Both incidents affected the midfield more than the leaders, with the Virtual Safety Car periods offering brief opportunities for strategic gambles that ultimately had little impact in the end.

In Conclusion

The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix was great, but one that ultimately reinforced the unique - and sometimes frustrating - character of Formula 1’s most famous street circuit. Lando Norris’s victory was a great exhibition of composure, while the new pit stop rules were a worthwhile experiment. As teams and fans reflect on the spectacle, the debate over how to improve Monaco will continue, but for Norris and McLaren, the day belonged to them - a hard-earned triumph in the sport’s most glamorous arena. 

McLaren is still the fastest team but their strategy calls and driver errors so far make them vulnerable. Red Bull and Ferrari have slower cars but Leclerc and Verstappen are fighting tooth and nail to make it a multi-team affair. The season is shaping up to be a great one! Thanks for reading :)