In the tight, unforgiving streets of Monte Carlo, where precision is everything and chaos is never far, Lando Norris delivered a flawless drive to win the Monaco Grand Prix and thrust himself deeper into the 2025 title fight.
Starting from pole, Norris was unflappable under pressure and utterly composed in a race shaped by a new three-compound tyre rule that threatened strategy chaos but ultimately rewarded control. The McLaren driver managed every twist of the 78-lap classic with poise, keeping Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at bay and bringing home his first win in Monaco and second of the season.
The win tightens the top of the championship standings. Norris now sits just three points behind teammate Oscar Piastri, who secured third place, while Max Verstappen fell 22 points adrift after a strategy gamble that didn’t pay off.
“This was always going to be about staying clean and executing perfectly,” said Norris post-race. “The team nailed every call.” That composure was vital on a day where one mistake could mean disaster, especially with the potential of a red flag reshaping the order.
The new FIA mandate requiring drivers to run all three tyre compounds: soft, medium, and hard, had stirred speculation of chaotic pit windows and surprise leaders. Instead, the front-runners followed near-identical strategies: medium tyres to start, followed by two stints on hards.
Verstappen was the exception. With limited tyre allocation, Red Bull started him on hards and delayed his second stop in hopes of a late incident. For a moment, the Dutchman even led the race, trying to back up the McLarens and Ferraris to trigger tension.
But Monaco rarely obliges. A virtual safety car for Gabriel Bortoleto’s Lap 1 crash was the race’s only disruption, and Verstappen was eventually forced to pit with a lap to go, falling to fourth.
Behind him, Lewis Hamilton finished fifth, unable to match the pace of the top four. The seven-time champion continues to search for that elusive spark with Ferrari.
