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The Monaco Grand Prix roll of honour, now reaching its 82nd edition, shows statistics that favour the McLaren team. Considering only the races valid for the Formula 1 World Championship, the Woking-based team boasts the highest number of victories - a total of fifteen, five more than Scuderia Ferrari. On this historic street circuit, the driver who stood on the top step of the podium most often was Ayrton Senna, with six victories, five of which were achieved with McLaren (and one with Lotus). However, there’s another curious fact: the British team hasn’t won in Monaco for seventeen years (including 2020, when the race was cancelled due to the Covid-19 emergency) - not since Lewis Hamilton took the win in 2008. However, now holding the title of Constructors’ World Champion and currently leading the standings, the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix might be the race where this long drought ends. Will that truly be the case? The current numbers do seem to favour McLaren, which has not only dominated most of the races so far this season but also counts on Oscar Piastri, who leads the Drivers’ Championship and is keen to bounce back after being overtaken by Max Verstappen into Turn 1 at Imola—a move that ultimately cost him the victory:
"Monaco was a really positive weekend for me last year, and it's a track where I've had good results during my junior career. It’s always a highlight of the calendar and I’m heading into this race determined, hungry, and fully focused on the unique challenge the famous streets of Monaco present".
Also previously on the podium in Monaco - P3 in 2021 - Lando Norris arrives with increased motivation for the upcoming weekend, especially after finishing P2 at Imola, ahead of his teammate:
"I’m really excited to be in Monaco this weekend. Over the years, this place has seen many special moments, so it’s always great to race here. I’ve been working hard with the team to put us in the best possible position to carry the momentum from recent races".
Max Verstappen claimed his second win of the season in Imola, having already triumphed in Suzuka. Before him, no driver had ever won in Imola four times in a row. With his 65th career victory, Verstappen closed the gap to Oscar Piastri in the standings, trailing the McLaren driver by 22 points. On the eve of the Monaco GP, Verstappen acknowledged the challenge:
"I’m a bit more cautious this weekend; generally, we do well on fast circuits. Even when you have the best car here, putting a lap together is still hard. What makes Monaco special? I’d say how difficult the track is. It’s narrow, bumpy, and overtaking is so hard that qualifying becomes crucial. It’s pretty crazy. Monaco is a place where the track has to come to you. It depends a lot on where you are in traffic. You never feel relaxed here - you’re always on edge. I don’t even know how the new C6 tyres will behave here. Double pit stop? Maybe it can shake things up a bit. Even if you nail the first stop, you can’t relax till the end".
As for the title fight, Verstappen says he’s in no rush:
"Battle with McLaren? What matters is where you are at the final race. We still have areas of the car to improve. In Imola, we learned a lot. We worked hard on the simulator. We know what we need from the car, but its operating window has been narrow for a year and a half".
In 2023 qualifying, Verstappen pulled off a true piece of magic, despite not setting perfect sector times:
"Pole in 2023? I knew I was behind in the first two sectors and had to take some risks. It paid off".
A track made up entirely of slow corners should, at least on paper, be the nemesis of the Ferrari SF-25. Despite this unpromising outlook ahead of the Monaco GP, Charles Leclerc isn’t ready to wave the white flag - not only in terms of the championship, believing things could improve from the Spanish Grand Prix onward, but also for his home race in the Principality, where he still cherishes the memory of his historic win in 2024:
"Unfortunately, we lose time in slow corners, and that’s all there is on this track. So on paper, it doesn’t look like our kind of circuit. But for me, this layout is so unique and different from anything else we've raced on this season that I believe there could still be room for surprises once we’re in the car tomorrow. I obviously hope that’s the case, and if it is, then I can still hope for something on Saturday. Qualifying is clearly the most important part of the weekend, but on paper, it will be tough for us".
Then there’s the Charles factor - his intimate knowledge of every single corner of the circuit, something only a driver who grew up on these streets could possess:
"Yes, the driver can make a difference here, and I have to say there have been years when we didn’t expect to be on pole—and yet we were. When you think you have no hope, you can take more risks in Q3, more than someone who has to manage expectations, like in 2021. So yes, I still hope to repeat what we achieved last year. I believe in myself. I know I’ve had chances on street circuits in the past, and there could be one now too. The only difference from last year is that we’re weaker in low-speed corners".
Lewis Hamilton's first Monaco race with Scuderia Ferrari doesn’t seem to be off to the best start. The SF-25 has shown inconsistent performance - mostly improving in race conditions - while in Monaco, qualifying is crucial. Making things worse, the track characteristics seem perfectly suited to exposing the SF-25’s weaknesses, especially in low-speed sections, where Ferrari has struggled in the early part of the season. Still, as Leclerc himself said, Monaco is special - and surprises can happen. Despite the forecasted challenges, Scuderia Ferrari remains hopeful, as Hamilton explains:
"I was on the simulator last Monday and had a great morning. It’s incredible to see - and probably something people don’t realize - how the engineers and mechanics never stop. They went straight from the Imola track to Maranello, and by Monday, they were already there. There are many positives, though some areas still need improvement. We’re clearly not extracting the best from the tyres in qualifying, which is something we’re working on. I have some ideas, and so does the team, and we’ll try them this weekend - even if this isn’t the best circuit for testing things. We’ll try to take a step forward. It’s a natural progression throughout the season, and I feel more at home in the team. It’s my first year, and every weekend is a new experience. This time, I’ll step into a completely red garage in Monaco for the first time - I’ve never been in one before. I’ve always wondered what it would be like. I know Charles has been very quick here in recent years, and you can see that the car behaves very differently from those I’ve driven in the past. How that will reflect in the weekend, I don’t know yet - but I’m looking forward to finding out".
He also comments on the mandatory two-stop rule for this race:
"I don’t know if it’s artificial or not, but it’s good to try something different. If you always do the same thing, you always get the same result. So I think it’s nice we’re doing something new, and we’ll find out along the way if this is the right solution or not. It will certainly be different from what we did last year. I don’t know if it’s better or not. I’m not making predictions, but I like that something has changed".
At Imola, Scuderia Ferrari suffered a double Q2 elimination. Although the outlook was far from bright on a circuit like Imola - where overtaking is notoriously difficult - Hamilton and Leclerc still managed to put in solid performances, finishing fourth and sixth, respectively. However, in Monaco, another potential qualifying disaster would be much harder to recover from during the race, even if the mandatory two pit stops could create more room for undercuts or overcuts. Speaking about the Monaco Grand Prix, Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur said:
"The Monaco Grand Prix is a unique race. We know how crucial qualifying is, and in recent days we’ve been working specifically on improving our single-lap performance, since we haven’t been able to fully capitalize on our package on Saturdays. This weekend introduces a new sporting regulation that adds an extra challenge for Monaco: each driver must make at least two pit stops, with the goal of increasing the importance of strategy and boosting on-track action. Obviously, this is Charles’ home race, which makes it a special one for the entire team. We’re determined to put both him and Lewis in the best possible position to perform at their highest level".
Recently, either the British Grand Prix or the Spanish Grand Prix (as Leclerc himself mentioned) has been indicated as the likely debut of this key upgrade. However, Charles Leclerc remained vague about the timeline:
"We’re working hard to recover the performance gap to McLaren and Red Bull. It’s our duty to optimize the SF-25 to get back to winning. We know what needs to be improved on the car, but I can’t say how long it will take. Right now, it’s clear that things are not going well—there’s no point pretending otherwise. We’re not at all satisfied with the car’s performance. Last year, Ferrari fought until the end for the Constructors’ title. At the start of the season, we had the same goal. Unfortunately, we quickly had to face reality. The car wasn’t up to the task. But our motivation remains intact".
Turning to Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli arrives at the Monaco Grand Prix at the perfect time: the Italian driver now has the right opportunity to get back on track after a tough weekend at Imola. In his first home race, the young Italian was mentally drained by numerous personal commitments, which took a toll once he got into the cockpit of the W16. Still, Antonelli showed his strong analytical abilities, learning valuable lessons from the previous weekend.
"It was definitely a mentally intense and demanding weekend. Being my first home race, there was a lot going on. I don’t think I managed it well, especially in terms of energy. I didn’t do a good enough job, and I could feel it once I was in the car. I wasn’t as mentally sharp as usual, not because I was thinking about something else - just mentally tired. It was hard to stay focused".
At Imola, Antonelli was eliminated in Q2, struggling to connect with the car - a sign of an issue that wasn’t entirely down to the W16:
"I didn’t manage my energy well, and as a result, I couldn’t perform as I wanted on track. It was a very disappointing weekend for me. But it was an important lesson, especially ahead of my next home race at Monza - and in general for all races. It wasn’t about sponsor obligations. I knew beforehand I’d be busier than usual. What I mean is the time spent with other people - not my engineer, but for example, my friends. Some of them came to the race as guests, and I don’t think I handled that aspect well. I spent too much energy on that, and not enough on what really matters - driving".
Besides family, friends, classmates, and even some teachers of Antonelli were present in the Imola paddock:
"Obviously, some people came to watch and we invited them - it was my home race, after all. We wanted to share the experience with some of our closest friends. At the same time, I realized too late during the weekend that I was spending too much energy on that and not leaving enough for the most important thing".
Even in difficult moments, Andrea Kimi Antonelli shows great composure, acknowledging and analyzing the issue without overdramatizing:
"There was nothing wrong with my approach at Imola. It was everything outside of the driving that I didn’t manage well. The problem is, once you're in the car, if you're not fully focused, it shows. When you burn too much energy, you can’t prepare properly, and you notice it once you're behind the wheel. Driving a Formula 1 car requires 100% focus and commitment. Even being at 97% - which may not sound like much - makes a huge difference, especially now that the margins are so tight".
The Italian driver is hopeful of repeating the strong qualifying performance he delivered in Miami. Securing a front-row spot in Monaco could lay the groundwork for a strong result:
"I’ve always had a good approach to the sessions, especially in Miami - that really helped during qualifying. My approach moving forward will be the same as it’s always been. I’ll dedicate all my time to preparing as best as possible, to perform well on track".
A standout Saturday and a nightmare Sunday - this sums up Mercedes’ weekend at Imola, despite bringing several technical upgrades. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix once again highlighted the W16’s weaknesses, especially race pace and tyre management. Yet, because of this imbalance, the car might actually perform well at the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix, even with this year’s introduction of mandatory two pit stops and increased strategic variety. Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff didn’t appreciate George Russell’s 7th place or Antonelli’s retirement at Imola and expects a strong comeback from the team this weekend:
"After a difficult race in Italy, we have the chance to bounce back immediately in Monaco. We’ll be working hard, quickly, and efficiently to understand what held us back at Imola. It’s important that we do, so we can avoid those issues in the future. That said, Monaco presents a very different challenge. Qualifying is absolutely crucial, and it’s been one of our strengths this year. That’s encouraging - but it means nothing if we can’t deliver on track. We’ve seen how competitive Saturdays have been this season, and in Monaco, competition is always intense. We’ll need to be at our best to have a chance at a strong result on Sunday. The two mandatory pit stops will add spice to the race. We’re excited for the challenge and looking forward to getting back on track".
With the sun shining down and yachts filling the harbour, the Principality looks resplendent as Formula 1’s 10 teams and 20 drivers gather for an initial hour-long hit of running around some of the most famous streets in motorsport. Unsurprisingly, plenty of cars are quick to head out at 1:30 p.m. local time to get a feel for the track conditions - a combination of Pirelli’s soft C6, medium C5 and hard C4 tyres is used across the early installation laps and short runs. There is some drama only a couple of minutes in when Leclerc locks up and goes deep at Mirabeau Haute, but he manages to avoid any damage, reverses his Ferrari out of the run-off area and continues on his way. Leclerc is not so fortunate a few moments later, though, when he runs into the back of Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin - which has moved aside for another car before coming back onto the racing line - under braking for the hairpin.
"Come on… I don’t think he is aware about the blue flags".
Leclerc sighs over the radio. Stroll confirms that when he tells his engineer:
"I didn’t hear you".
Given Leclerc’s front wing damage, the red flag is thrown to clear the debris. When the session resumes, with Stroll sidelined due to his broken rear suspension and a gearbox change, drivers pick up where they left off and begin to push a little harder - Norris holds the P1 time of 1'12"290 (on Softs) at the halfway mark over Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri. There is also a sign of things to come in Qualifying - particularly Q1 - as drivers squabble for track position, leaving Pierre Gasly frustrated by some slow-moving cars at the Nouvelle Chicane and Verstappen fuming after he is forced to bail out of a lap. While Leclerc improves again to eclipse Norris’ benchmark and moves into the 1'11"0 bracket, an exasperated radio message - claiming we are nowhere in terms of car balance - implies that there is still plenty of work to do at Ferrari. Several lock-ups, barrier scrapes and close calls follow over the final third of the session, with Hamilton narrowly avoiding traffic at Massenet and then flying over the kerbs at Turn 15/16, and Piastri returns to the pits for inspections after an apparent brush of the wall. Leclerc remains quickest with his 1'11"964 effort when the chequered flag drops, a tenth clear of nearest rival Verstappen, as Norris, the high-flying Williams of Alex Albon, championship leader Piastri and Mercedes’ George Russell complete the top six. Carlos Sainz Jr. backs up teammate Albon in seventh position, followed by the lead Alpine of Gasly, Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, who is Aston Martin’s sole driver for the majority of the session following Stroll’s early clash with Leclerc. Drivers and teams now regroup in the Monte Carlo paddock, dig through the data and ponder set-up changes before returning to action in Free Practice 2, which is scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. local time and again runs for an hour. Drivers and teams continue to push the limits on the streets of the Principality, with Isack Hadjar and Piastri going beyond it during the one-hour session. After the first set of runs, reigning World Champion Max Verstappen sits top of the order on a 1'12"922 despite complaining over the radio for his team to please fix the upshifts and about the poor quality of his tear-off visors. It takes less than eight minutes for the first red flag of the session to be deployed, Hadjar having clipped the inside barrier on the entry to the Nouvelle Chicane which rips the left-rear tyre off its rim.
Having initially come to a stop on the far side of the chicane as the red flags fly, the Frenchman slowly makes his way back to the pits after asking his Racing Bulls team for the best course of action. Once running resumes, Piastri lowers the benchmark to a 1'12"548 on a set of medium tyres, but the McLaren driver brings out the red flags again shortly after having hit the barrier head-on at Sainte Devote. After reversing, the Australian is able to recover back to the pits for a new front wing as the session resumes with 35 minutes remaining. Prior to the second stoppage, Leclerc moves to the top of the times with a 1'12"103, but multiple Monaco Grand Prix winners Fernando Alonso, on the softs, and Hamilton on the hard rubber both jump him. Alonso then becomes the first driver to dip below the 1'12"0 mark with a 1'11"890, faster than Leclerc's best from FP1, as the session enters its second half. Leclerc's first effort on a soft moves the benchmark down to a 1'11"414, while his second attempt with 20 minutes remaining improves that to a 1'11"355, which finishes as the fastest time on Friday. Piastri recovers from his incident to finish second, just 0.038s behind Leclerc, with Hamilton one-tenth behind Leclerc as Lando Norris completes the top four. Liam Lawson finishes an impressive fifth just ahead of teammate Hadjar, who finds the barriers again, this time at Sainte Devote on a cooldown lap inside the final 10 minutes, which leaves the Racing Bulls machine with damage as he crabs back to the pits. Alonso, Alex Albon’s Williams and Kimi Antonelli for Mercedes finish ahead of Verstappen in P10, who remains unhappy with his Red Bull after going into the run-off area at one point. The Dutchman is only 0.004s ahead of teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who in turn heads the second Mercedes and Williams of George Russell and Carlos Sainz respectively. Gabriel Bortoleto, who Verstappen complains about for blocking through the Swimming Pool section, puts his Kick Sauber in 14th with teammate Nico Hulkenberg 16th, as Ollie Bearman’s Haas sits between them - though the Briton is later hit with a 10-place grid penalty for the race for overtaking under the red flag.
Charles Leclerc sets the fastest time in both Free Practice sessions: a result that almost no one expected from Scuderia Ferrari and the Monegasque driver, considering the enormous difficulties of the SF-25. Now, the outlook changes. However, Charles Leclerc urges calm, while admitting he has a satisfactory pace on a single lap.
"Monaco is always very special, not just for me but for anyone driving on this circuit. Fridays are used by everyone to find their reference points, so it's still too early to feel truly confident heading into the weekend. However, today was a positive day for us on track: our single-lap pace was good and I felt comfortable in the car, regardless of the tire compound used. Qualifying will, as always, be crucial here: we need to start at the front if we want to bring home a good result".
In short, the Scuderia Ferrari cars seem highly competitive, as alongside Leclerc’s top time in both practice sessions, Lewis Hamilton also posted the third-best time, just a tenth of a second behind his teammate. The British driver seems quite encouraged by the SF-25’s competitiveness on the streets of Monaco, even indicating he plans to make only minimal changes to the setup.
"Incredible - this track is always amazing every year, and tackling it behind the wheel of a Ferrari makes it even more special. We completed our planned program and collected a lot of useful data, which we’ll continue working on tomorrow. The pace overall looked promising, even though there's still some margin to improve. I’d say I can still work on my lines and on braking - for example, I’m losing a tenth just in Turn 1. As for the car, there are only small tweaks to make. I won’t change much. Charles is really fast, the session was good. I’m getting a good feeling with the car and the balance isn’t bad, so I’m looking forward to getting back in the car tomorrow to build on this foundation for the rest of the weekend".
It was a more complicated day for Oscar Piastri, who arrived in Monaco with determination and the desire to return to the top step of the podium after his P3 in Imola. Fifth in FP1, the Australian driver climbed to P2 by the end of FP2, but during the first half of the session, the championship leader made a mistake that caused a temporary suspension of FP2. Piastri misjudged his braking into Sainte Devote, the first corner of the circuit, running long and hitting the barriers. The incident damaged the front wing, but didn’t cause serious harm to the car, and Piastri was able to return to the track after a pit stop to replace the wing.
"I think the day was a bit tricky, a bit up and down. When we put everything together, the pace is pretty good, but at the moment it’s not proving to be that easy. So, there are some things to look at. I think, especially for me, it was a very chaotic day. We’ll try to reset a bit tomorrow because I think the car has the pace".
The Australian driver also commented on the surprise of Ferrari’s competitiveness:
"I clearly think Ferrari is doing much better here than it has before, but I think today it’s more of a personal matter - there are a lot of things to learn, and I believe tomorrow will be an interesting day".
Max Verstappen had started his Monaco weekend well, but then had to drive a car that worsened during the second Free Practice session. Waiting for the usual overnight simulator work to turn things around for Saturday, the reigning World Champion still seems reasonably confident and not overly worried about his P10 finish in FP2, more than 0.7 seconds behind Charles Leclerc. However, the SF-25’s performance appears to be real:
"I think FP1 was pretty positive, but then we made some changes for FP2 to see how far we could push the setup. But I think in the end we went a bit too far and I couldn’t attack the corners the way I wanted. We lost a bit of rhythm and the lap time didn’t come. So, I didn’t expect us to be the fastest, but obviously we can be much closer than we were in FP2. I’m confident we can be much closer. The Ferraris? Once again here, they seem very, very fast. The McLarens were quite close, but looking at the whole season, I think Ferrari has taken a big step forward here".
He also shared his thoughts on the heavy traffic on track, which he also complained about on the radio during the session:
"Monte Carlo is always tricky with traffic, but I think twice today we had dangerous situations. It’s not ideal. I know it’s just free practice, but if something isn’t done quickly, there’s a risk of a big accident. But luckily, everything went fine".
On the eve of the Monaco Grand Prix, McLaren was regarded as the favorite to win. However, Andrea Stella believes that Scuderia Ferrari could prove to be more competitive, despite generally struggling in low-speed sections. The reason lies in the unique characteristics of the Monaco circuit, which requires a compromise between aerodynamic downforce, agility over kerbs, and the handling of bumps in the asphalt, as explained by the McLaren Team Principal. Managing ride height is crucial with the current generation of cars, whose aerodynamics favor teams like McLaren that are able to stabilize the floor more effectively. In Monte Carlo, though, aerodynamic downforce is not the absolute priority in the setup, as mechanical grip must also be preserved.
"The ground effect on these cars is the strongest we’ve ever had in Formula 1 history. Here in Monaco, it’s difficult to run close to the ground because you would need to stiffen the suspension a lot, but then you’d lose performance over the kerbs - like at the second Swimming Pool chicane or the Casino corner, where the car lifts slightly. You want the wheels to follow the surface of the track, and if the car is too stiff, it won’t do that. It’s the classic compromise between generating aerodynamic load by running low and stiff, or achieving mechanical grip by better handling the bumps".
The dilemma shared by all teams is how to find the ideal compromise between these two aspects.
"It’s a question you can only answer through experimentation. Last year, for example, we tried a very aggressive setup in terms of stiffness, and both drivers told us it was too much and that we had to scale it back. You don’t get precise feedback from simulations - they can guide you to a point, but when it comes to exploiting the real car, you face a series of subtleties. We’ll run some experiments during free practice and see if we’ve pushed it too far. If that’s the case, we’ll dial it back".
Among the teams disappointed by Free Practice results is certainly Mercedes. The Brackley-based team arrived in Monaco hoping to redeem itself after a disappointing Sunday at Imola and to capitalize on the W16’s solid one-lap pace during qualifying. However, the first two practice sessions didn’t provide encouraging signs: in FP1, George Russell recorded the sixth-fastest time, while in the afternoon session Andrea Kimi Antonelli climbed to ninth place, and the British driver didn’t go beyond P12. Despite this, speaking at the end of Friday, George Russell appeared optimistic about the Anglo-German team’s chances of turning things around:
"We weren’t particularly fast, but I’m still confident for qualifying. There are clear improvements we can make overnight with the car, and we have some ideas on how to get the tyres into a better window for the single lap".
Russell has also begun looking ahead to the race outcome, which will inevitably be affected by the new mandatory double pit stop rule:
"Saturday is usually the key day in Monaco, with qualifying being highly decisive for the race. This year, though, the two mandatory stops will make things interesting. Being in the top three after qualifying might not be as vital as in previous years. Still, we’ll give it our all to be at the front of the grid on Sunday".
Drivers and teams embark on the final hour of practice on the streets of the Principality to find as much performance from their cars as possible, before the most crucial Qualifying session of the season on Saturday afternoon. But with track conditions not being at their optimum initially, many drivers remain in the pits for the opening 10 minutes, with Franco Colapinto being the first to set some timed laps on the soft tyre, but which are several seconds off the pace from Friday. Liam Lawson is the only other driver to push for a time during the same period, reporting over the radio that the track has very low grip to his Racing Bulls team. Nico Hulkenberg moves his Kick Sauber to the top of the times on the medium tyre with a 1'13"916, but nearly finds the barrier at the final corner later having locked up, before reversing and rejoining unharmed. Hamilton slots into second on the soft tyres, but the Ferrari driver complains that the rear is sliding a lot over the radio before times soon begin to tumble as leading runners take to the circuit. Lando Norris posts a 1'12"970 on the softs, before his lap is bested by Friday pacesetter Leclerc as the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda jump up to third and fourth on the 20-minute mark. Leclerc and Norris soon engage in their own personal duel, as first the McLaren driver reasserts himself back at the top with a 1'12"347, Leclerc then sets a new benchmark of 1'12"199, before Norris immediately replies and improves by less than one tenth. Reigning World Champion Verstappen then asserts himself at the top, the first man of the day to dip below the 1'12"0 barrier as the Red Bull driver posts a 1'11"961 with the medium tyre. He lowers this further, first to a 1'11"653, then a 1'11"233, the latter a time which is faster than Leclerc's best from Friday as the session reaches its halfway point. Qualifying simulation runs take place over the final 15 minutes, with most drivers performing push, cooldown and push laps, with Verstappen reporting:
"I have no grip".
On the soft tyre after failing to improve on his remaining laps. With just over five minutes remaining, Leclerc moves back to the top on a 1'11"179 on the soft tyre before the Ferrari driver sets a 1'10"953, which would finish as the benchmark as the red flags fly with just under two minutes remaining. Hamilton, who sets the fifth fastest time, comes to a stop at Casino Square having hit the barrier hard through Massenet, with the team in a race against time to repair the damage before Qualifying in just a few hours. Verstappen finishes second, just 0.280s adrift of Leclerc, as Norris and the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri complete the top four. Alex Albon is the lead Williams in sixth, followed by Lawson and Carlos Sainz Jr., as Tsunoda and Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli complete the top 10 ahead of team mate George Russell, who struggles for pace in 11th. After three busy practice sessions, it is time for arguably the most important Qualifying hour of the year, with grid and track position vital around the Principality’s tight, twisty streets - even if the new two-stop rule is tipped to add some spice to proceedings. As Q1 gets under way in pleasant conditions, with grid penalties hanging over Stroll and Bearman, the other key Monaco factor of traffic soon comes to the fore - 20 drivers squabble for clean air in the early minutes in a bid to get banker laps on the board. Once every driver has posted a time, it is Verstappen who holds the provisional Qualifying benchmark at 1'11"920, ahead of practice pace-setter Leclerc, but a constant flow of push, cool, and push laps sees the order change by the minute. Piastri makes the next big move by working his way down to 1'11"385, despite reporting a brush with the wall, before Leclerc clocks a 1'11"229 and states his intention to score a fourth pole position in the last five editions of his home event. Unsurprisingly, a couple of impeding incidents are noted by the stewards, with Gasly criticising the slow-moving Stroll for a shocking situation at the Nouvelle Chicane, and Verstappen swearing in response to a close call with Hamilton at Massenet.
Gasly and Alpine are left with the most work to do after their first runs, having been slowest of all as the only team to start the session with medium tyres rather than softs - piling the pressure on for the decisive sequence of laps to the chequered flag. Those laps are impacted by a crash for rookie Antonelli at the Nouvelle Chicane, with yellow flags initially coming out and scuppering a handful of laps, before turning into a red flag and ending the opening phase of Qualifying early. Leclerc thus finishes quickest from the McLarens, Verstappen, Russell and teammate Hamilton, with Albon, Alonso, Sainz, and Tsunoda also reaching the top 10 on an incredibly close timesheet that sees P1 to P15 covered by just over six-tenths of a second. With Hadjar, Lawson, Ocon, Hulkenberg, and Antonelli the final drivers to squeeze through to Q2 - even if the Mercedes man takes no part - it means Bortoleto agonisingly misses out, along with Bearman, the aforementioned Gasly, Stroll, and Colapinto. After a short break, drivers queue up at the end of the pit lane once more for the start of Q2, which sees Leclerc, Albon, Hamilton, Sainz, and Russell try something different by moving over to the yellow-marked medium compound tyre Alpine sampled in Q1. Soft-shod Norris is the early pace-setter on 1'10"959, putting him marginally in front of Verstappen, Leclerc, and Albon, but Russell’s hopes of joining them are dashed when he loses power, grounds to a halt in the tunnel and triggers another red flag. With Russell’s car cleared and the session back under way, drivers have around eight minutes to get more laps in - Albon, Alonso, and Sainz press on with the mediums, while Ferrari pair Leclerc and Hamilton switch to softs and jump to the front. Another mad dash to the flag sees Norris come out on top with a 1'10"570, from Leclerc, Albon (who switches to softs late on), Piastri, Verstappen, and Hamilton, while both Racing Bulls, Alonso (who sticks with the mediums), and an ecstatic Ocon also progress. Like Albon, Sainz takes on softs for his final run but cannot improve, lamenting that he has no grip with the red-marked tyre en route to P11, followed by another disappointed Q2 eliminee in Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, and the sidelined Mercedes drivers.
So, with 20 cars reduced to 10 via two frenetic Qualifying phases, it all comes down to Q3 and the eagerly anticipated fight for pole position - most of the field emerge from the pits on soft tyres, apart from Ocon and Albon on mediums. Norris picks up where he leaves off in Q2 by pumping in a 1'10"464 on his first lap, just over half a tenth clear of Piastri, while Leclerc goes third from Verstappen and Hamilton and leaves his passionate home fans wanting more across the final runs. Those final runs deliver another electrifying Monaco Qualifying showcase as Piastri initially goes quickest on a 1'10"140, before Norris edges ahead with a 1'10"125 - and then Leclerc sends the crowd wild with a 1'10"063. Is that it from the front-runners? Not quite. Both McLaren drivers gear themselves up for another lap and, with all eyes on the timing screens, Norris brilliantly pulls a 1'09"954 out of the bag to post the fastest-ever Monte Carlo pole and deny Leclerc. Piastri’s marginal improvement is not enough for an all-McLaren front row, leaving him third over Hamilton and Verstappen, who cannot make an impression on his last lap. Hadjar, Alonso, Ocon, Lawson, and Albon complete the Q3 order. In the most special and important qualifying session of the season, that of the Monaco Grand Prix, Lando Norris emerges as the standout performer. The British driver, often criticized in the early part of the season for mistakes and underwhelming performances, takes a special satisfaction in the streets of the Principality of Monaco. He narrowly beats local hero Charles Leclerc by just a few thousandths of a second, and leads his teammate and World Championship leader, Oscar Piastri, by almost 0.2 seconds. If Norris manages to win, he could revive his chances of claiming the World Title and would undoubtedly land a heavy blow, both mentally and emotionally, to Piastri. For now, though, it’s time for the English driver to savor the satisfaction of an unexpected result, which highlights his raw speed.
"This pole means a lot to me, especially considering how qualifying has gone in recent weeks. Monaco is more difficult, but it’s also where the relief is greatest when everything comes together. During qualifying, I gained more and more confidence in the car. The first lap was good, and that allowed me to push even harder in the second".
Continuing his speech, Lando Norris explains the strategy used in Q3, when he completed a total of three timed attempts, snatching pole position from Leclerc just as time expired.
"We knew it was going to be difficult to set a good time on the first attempt. That’s why we did one lap and then came back in to do two more. What changed for me compared to other qualifying sessions? The car in Monaco is very different in terms of balance, and it requires a different driving style. Today was also the first time since Australia that I managed to put everything together in Q3".
Given the circumstances, third place on the grid in Monte Carlo cannot satisfy Oscar Piastri. The World Championship leader is not only preceded by his direct rival in the standings, teammate Lando Norris, but also by Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari. And on Sunday, it will be difficult to aim for anything better, as McLaren has everything to lose and won't be able to make risky strategic moves in a race with two mandatory pit stops. Even in qualifying, the Australian driver wasn’t clean in executing his laps, especially in Q3, where the difference with Norris became evident, with Norris completing a perfect final run. Commenting on the outcome of the qualifying session with journalists in the Principality, Oscar Piastri humorously remarked that he hit more barriers this weekend than in his entire career:
"It reminds me a bit of what happened last year. To be honest, my first lap was good, but in the second attempt, I made a mistake at the harbor chicane".
The World Championship leader, sportsmanlike as ever, applauds his teammate:
"I think beating Lando today would have been difficult, so congratulations to him. But I’m still quite happy: it’s been a rather uncertain weekend so far. I did a lap that seemed pretty good, and being third is a decent result. I think I hit more barriers this weekend than in my entire career. I struggled a bit to get in sync with the track".
After the difficulties experienced during this season’s qualifying sessions on the streets of the Principality of Monaco, home to Charles Leclerc, both Ferrari drivers set promising and competitive times. Despite being in pole position until the final moments of Q3, the Monegasque driver lost the chance to start from the front after Lando Norris’s performance, which spoiled the celebration for the Maranello team. However, Charles Leclerc will still have the opportunity to start from the front row of a street circuit where qualifying is crucial for defending top positions from the start. Yet in interviews, the Monegasque driver seemed less than satisfied:
"I’m not happy, I’m very disappointed. In the end, qualifying here is everything, and we’ll start second, so I’m very disappointed. We’re farther from the win starting second here than we would be from 11th in Imola. Unfortunately, qualifying here is everything. Right now, there’s a lot of disappointment and negativity in my words because, obviously, I got out of the car half an hour ago and still haven’t accepted this qualifying result. They did a great job, Lando did a great lap, and I’ll lose more poles, but at home it hurts, especially when qualifying is everything".
It’s not only a disappointment over missing pole position but also over the progress made by Scuderia Ferrari that hasn’t resulted in the fastest time:
"That said, I’m still happy inside, even if I don’t show it, for what the team has done. A top-10 result would have been a great qualifying session given my expectations, and now we’re second. After FP1, FP2, and FP3 went so well, it’s easy to forget the feeling of Thursday, so I came into qualifying wanting to be first, and I’m not, so I’m angry. Could I have done better on this lap? Certainly a little, but it was still a really good lap, and I’m sorry it wasn’t enough for pole position".
For Leclerc, the focus now shifts to the race, which will be shaped by the mandatory two-pit stop rule, a potential strategic base to defend his position or aim for his first win of the season:
"First of all, there’s a choice to be made: take all the risks to try to win, and there’s a small part of me that says that, and the bigger part of me, even though I’m eager to win right now, is focused on getting important points no matter where we end up tomorrow. When I say 'any,' I mean at least second place and not risking it all for a win only to end up fifth. We need points because right now, our car isn’t good enough to aim for big things, so it’s important to score points at this point in the season, which is a bit difficult. That said, if there’s a small opportunity to go for the top position, I’ll try to take it. As for strategy, we need to be smart and figure out quickly which direction other teams are taking, and once we understand that, we’ll need to pick a direction quickly".
If, a week earlier, Frederic Vasseur had been offered second and fourth positions on the grid at Monaco, the French team principal would probably have signed up for it. The aftermath of the dismal qualifying performance in Imola is wiped out by what happened in Monaco, where Scuderia Ferrari secured the first and second rows thanks to Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who were both bested only by McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. On the Monaco circuit, where everyone has to lift the car off the ground, the SF-25 proves to be competitive. However, for Ferrari’s team principal, there’s only room for regret.
"I’m not that happy today. I’m a bit frustrated because we weren’t far from pole position. I think Charles did an excellent job throughout the weekend, and we lost pole position by just a hair. But points are made on Sunday, and compared to last weekend, we made a big recovery in terms of qualifying: we need to keep that in mind. In Monaco, strategy is always a bit of a gamble. The GP is a lottery, and tomorrow it will be multiplied by two. Having two cars in the top four positions always helps because you can have two different strategies to cover one car. It’s possible to win tomorrow, of course. When you start from the front row in Monaco and there are two pit stops, you can never know what will happen in this race. So we have to focus on ourselves, be opportunistic with the strategy, and then we’ll see. In the second stint, we were a bit up against the wall, but overall we did a good job. We weren’t even sure we would have a second car at the start of Q1. So, second and fourth place are a good result and a solid preparation for tomorrow".
Continues the French team principal, who explains the secret behind this performance boost:
"A lot depends on tire management and their preparation. Last week, we had a great car in the race, but we struggled on Saturday, whereas today we found better conditions for the tires and the car. We prepared the session very well, putting the tires and the car in a much better window than we had in Imola qualifying. Is Charles unhappy? It’s normal, because he’s been in front all weekend, was fighting for pole position, and finished qualifying just a tenth behind. So you can’t be happy with that. However, when we sit down together, I’m sure he’ll consider that, compared to last week, it’s a great result, we’ve made a big step forward, and we’ve understood the car better. But I can imagine Charles’ frustration, and I’d even be angry if he were happy with it".
In addition to the more than 0.4s gap from Lando Norris’ pole position, there are the three grid positions that Lewis Hamilton loses at the end of qualifying for impeding Max Verstappen in Q1. Therefore, Saturday’s Monaco Grand Prix takes on the tone of a major disappointment for the Mercedes driver, after the FIA decides to impose a penalty on the Ferrari driver without considering the favorable words expressed by Max Verstappen, who mentioned that Hamilton had tried to stay as far left as possible on track, and especially without acknowledging that the engineers’ error seems to have been due to a technical problem with the monitors.
Once again, the strict approach prevails, which further complicates the weekend for the British driver, who will have to start from P7 in the race. Before even knowing about the penalty, Lewis Hamilton had already tried to explain why his track engineer, Riccardo Adami, had warned him about Max Verstappen being behind him, only later to be told that the Dutch driver had stopped pushing. This was incorrect information, as the Red Bull Racing driver was still on a flying lap, which was only aborted after being disturbed by Hamilton’s Ferrari.
"I don’t know, there was a problem with the computer screen, and basically, they told me Max was on a flying lap, but then he disappeared, and they said he wasn’t pushing anymore. That’s the information they gave me. They told me he was behind me, so I moved over, but then they said he wasn’t there anymore, so I accelerated again. I stayed all the way to the left, but obviously, Max was still distracted".
The British driver had also talked about his complicated process of adapting to the characteristics of the SF-25:
"I’m getting there, little by little. I feel that in the last race, we made a great step forward, and in Monaco, I felt more comfortable with the car. I think it’s a very different car from what I’ve had in the last twelve years. Charles has driven this car for the last six years, and I’d say this weekend, the learning curve has been steep. But I’m quite happy with how I’ve recovered after the incident".
One of the topics of discussion after Monaco’s qualifying session is the alleged impeding committed by Lewis Hamilton on Max Verstappen during Q1. The two were called by the stewards to determine whether or not to impose a three-place grid penalty on the British Ferrari driver. Surprisingly, Max Verstappen himself came to Hamilton’s defense, at least verbally. The two had a brief chat right after Q3, where Hamilton apologized to his rival for the incident. Verstappen immediately accepted the apology and, when speaking to the media, attributed the error to Ferrari’s engineers rather than the British driver.
"I had a quick chat with Lewis after qualifying. It wasn’t his fault: it was the team who told him I was going slow, but I was actually on a flying lap. I’m never in favor of penalties, but looking at previous cases, I’ve taken a penalty for impeding someone who wasn’t even on a flying lap. We’ll see: we’ll talk to the stewards, but I’ve already briefly discussed it with Lewis. It’s never nice when it happens in a fast corner like that, but it wasn’t his fault".
Before the Monaco Grand Prix, the Mercedes team had been very confident, considering the often-competitive performance of the W16 on qualifying laps. However, the day ended poorly for the Brackley team, who were excluded from Q3 due to a technical issue on George Russell’s car and an incident by Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who hit the wall at the harbor chicane. For Andrea Kimi Antonelli, it was a youthful mistake, already accounted for by Toto Wolff, but the Austrian team principal is more concerned about the reliability issue, following the same problem for the Italian driver in Imola, which further complicates George Russell’s weekend. The British driver believes he can aim for a low top-10 finish.
"The problem itself was strange. I hit a bump at the exit of Turn 1 and lost power. It seemed like something electronic had disconnected. I tried to do everything I could to bring the car back to the pits and restart it when I stopped in the tunnel. Unfortunately, there was nothing more to be done. Starting from P14 is obviously far from ideal, and that’s even more true in Monaco. It will be difficult to achieve anything more than a low top-10, but with two mandatory pit stops, we’ll have to see what happens. Today was incredibly disappointing. In Q1, I felt good with the car, and the team had done a fantastic job to transform the car after three difficult practice sessions. Not having the chance to show what was possible in qualifying is frustrating and heartbreaking. I believe we had the opportunity to bring the car into the first two rows of the grid. I only used one set of softs in Q1, and the medium tires at the start of Q2 were working well".
In his Formula 1 debut in Monaco, Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished his session by hitting the guardrail at the entrance of the Nouvelle Chicane:
"It was a really unnecessary and costly mistake, and obviously, it’s a shame to end like that. I’m really sorry for the team, and definitely, today the blame is all on me. I felt like I had to really fight with the car this weekend to find the right rhythm".
Based on the mistake he made, Antonelli denies that he was pushing his W16 to the limit, while still taking full responsibility:
"I was just trying to get comfortable with the car and make progress during the session. I think we definitely struggled a bit more this weekend compared to others, but the blame is mine. It’s not the car, so I’m sorry for the team".
After another classic Monaco Qualifying session topped by Norris, attention soon turns to Sunday’s 78-lap race around the Principality, and how the new, mandatory two-pit stop rule might shake things up over the course of the afternoon. In short, every driver is required to use three different sets of tyres across the race, including two different slick tyre compounds, with F1 supplier Pirelli amusingly declaring that anything can happen in their usual pre-race strategy guide. A couple of drivers looking to take full advantage of that new rule are Bearman and Stroll, who line up at the back with respective 10-place and four-place grid penalties - earned for various red flag, impeding, and clashing incidents throughout practice. Another man to lose grid spots ahead of the start is Hamilton, who recovers well from an accident at the end of final practice to finish fourth-fastest in Qualifying, only to earn a three-place drop for getting in Verstappen’s way during Q1. As the drivers line up on the grid, with Bearman’s car noted for being in an unsafe condition, it is revealed that the majority of the field will start on medium tyres, with Verstappen, Alonso, Hamilton, Sainz, Russell, Antonelli, Colapinto, and Stroll going for hards, and Tsunoda running softs. Norris gets away cleanly when the lights go out and survives a sizeable double lock-up at Sainte Devote to maintain his pole position advantage over a fast-starting Leclerc, followed closely by Piastri and Verstappen, with the rest of the top 10 positions also remaining unchanged. However, the Virtual Safety Car is soon deployed when Bortoleto - having gone wheel-to-wheel with Antonelli through the hairpin - goes straight on at Portier and hits the wall. The Brazilian backs out of it and heads to the pits for repairs, while Tsunoda, Gasly, and Bearman also stop for fresh rubber. Lap 4 sees the VSC end, and the race resumes in earnest - Norris managing the situation well to edge away from Leclerc. Meanwhile, the aforementioned battle between Bortoleto and Antonelli is looked at by the stewards, who decide that no further action is required. The drama steps up a gear on Lap 9 when Gasly runs into Tsunoda’s Red Bull under braking for the Nouvelle Chicane, forcing the Frenchman back to the pits and into retirement.
"Is he an idiot? What is he doing?"
Tsunoda sighs over the radio. As drivers navigate the debris, Verstappen sees an opportunity to attack Piastri on the run between the chicane and Tabac, with the McLaren man’s firm defense drawing a frustrated radio message from the reigning four-time World Champion. There will be no action from the stewards, though. Hulkenberg and Colapinto are the next drivers to pit for fresh tyres under green flag conditions, following a brief pit lane closure due to Gasly parking up at Williams, before Hadjar boxes for softs from fifth and rejoins in eighth, just ahead of Racing Bulls teammate Lawson, who has been backing up the cars behind him. Alonso and Ocon respond to Hadjar’s stop next time around, rejoining in seventh and eighth respectively, with the Spaniard shouting that:
"I can’t push now".
On his harder rubber. Stroll and Bearman also take on more tyres, meaning the latter has already hit his two-stop requirement. After being told to push by his engineer, Hamilton pits on Lap 19 for a set of hard tyres, coming back out ahead of Hadjar, with Norris doing the same from the lead of the race shortly afterward and returning to the track in fourth - a huge gap of clean air to work with and hammer in some quick times. Racing Bulls’ strategy becomes crystal clear on Lap 20 when Hadjar pits for a second time and takes on hards, again rejoining in front of teammate Lawson, before Piastri gets called in to try and undercut new leader Leclerc, albeit with a slow stop hampering that plan. Leclerc duly stops on Lap 22 and, despite Piastri’s best efforts, the home favorite slots back in between the McLaren drivers - Verstappen, having started on hard tyres, sitting 10 seconds clear of Norris and extending his opening stint.
"So now what’s the plan? Because that didn’t work very well".
Piastri laments over the radio as the race settles back down. While McLaren ponders that, the only drivers yet to stop at all are Verstappen, Lawson, Albon, Sainz, Russell, and Antonelli. At this point, television footage cuts to Russell harassing Sainz just outside the top 10 places, with the Williams man seemingly attempting to create a gap for teammate Albon ahead as per Racing Bulls’ plan. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff jumps on the radio to give his driver some encouragement. Verstappen decides that enough is enough on Lap 28 and pits for medium tyres, dropping him back down to fourth and restoring the original top three of Norris, Leclerc, and Piastri. Ocon, Colapinto, and Bortoleto also pit for a second time, with the Sauber rookie intriguingly taking on Softs. While Norris and Leclerc complain about backmarkers not adhering to blue flags, Bearman adds a couple more dramatic moments to his difficult weekend thanks to a wheel-to-wheel scrap with Stroll through Rascasse and a bounce over the kerbs exiting the Swimming Pool section - but no lasting damage is done. At the halfway mark of the race, Norris leads Leclerc by around six seconds, with Piastri five seconds further back and Verstappen hovering two more seconds behind the Australian.
"Ah, my shifts feel like the Monaco Grand Prix 1972".
Verstappen then chimes over the radio. Stops for Lawson (taking on softs) and Albon (mediums) mean only Sainz, Russell, and Antonelli (all still running their starting sets of hards) are yet to complete a tyre change, while Bortoleto makes his third pit lane visit of the day to switch to mediums. Lap 38 brings another incident when Alonso parks his smoking Aston Martin at the exit of Rascasse and retires from the action, ending what has turned into a tough afternoon for the two-time World Champion after he loses places in the pit lane and develops a power unit issue. Lawson and Albon pit together again on Lap 41 to hit their required two stops, maintaining their places at the tail-end of the top 10 in the process, with Sainz moving into the points-paying positions thanks to Alonso’s aforementioned retirement. Williams takes the team game to the next level when Albon releases Sainz into some clean air and backs up the cars behind in a bid to give his teammate a free stop. That adds to the frustration for Russell and Antonelli behind - the Briton accusing his rival of driving dangerously slowly. Piastri is the first of the front-runners to stop for a second time on Lap 49, prompting Leclerc to pit and cover him off a lap later, and then leader Norris to come in for new tyres one tour after that. Verstappen, meanwhile, continues on his way and extends once more. Russell and Albon’s battle then turns sour at the Nouvelle Chicane. After avoiding the back of the Williams under braking and skipping over the chicane, Russell ignores Mercedes’ advice to hand back the position. Says George Russell:
"I’ll take the penalty… he’s driving erratically":
After a swift investigation from the stewards, Russell is hit with a drive-through penalty.
"To be honest… I prefer not to speak".
He says in response. Now it is Antonelli’s turn to attack Albon, bringing another near-miss at the same spot. Sainz and Russell both pit on Lap 55 to fit new tyres, with the latter being told that his penalty will be delayed as long as possible. That means Antonelli is the only driver yet to complete a pit stop with just over 20 laps to go. As the lap count hits 60, Verstappen remains in the lead - but with that second stop still to be made - from a closing Norris and Leclerc. With no way through for Norris, it in turn allows Leclerc to edge ever closer and hover only a few tenths back. The situation continues into the final 10 laps, with Norris coming under more and more pressure from Leclerc.
"Where’s Oscar? I need him to put Charles under some pressure".
Norris inquires at this point, adding:
"Max is just backing me up. He’s not even pushing".
Norris does everything he needs to across a tense phase of laps before Verstappen finally makes his second stop, releasing his 2024 title rival, Leclerc, and Piastri back into the top three positions, which remain that way to the finish. In a statement to his rivals, Norris clocks the fastest lap of the race on his way to the chequered flag, before taking in the applause from the fans and celebrating his first triumph since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix with a cry of:
"Monaco, baby".
Verstappen follows the podium finishers home in fourth, with Hamilton the last driver to cross the line on the lead lap in fifth, and Hadjar, Ocon, Lawson, Albon, and Sainz rounding out the points over a frustrated Russell. In Monaco, McLaren returns to success with Lando Norris: the two mandatory pit stops were not enough to disrupt the order set by the Qualifying results. The British driver withstood the pressure from Charles Leclerc and secured his second win of the season, following his victory in the opening Grand Prix in Australia. This success also boosts his position in the standings: Norris is now just 3 points behind Piastri, who finished third today. At the end of the race, McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella, praised his driver, explaining how the team helped him get through a mentally tough period
"The greatest credit, however, goes to Lando, for his strength, character, determination, and for accepting the fact that you shouldn't focus too much on the 1% that goes wrong. There is always 99% to build on. He tends to focus on that 1%, but it’s a trait that can be used to grow a lot. The key is not to make too much of a problem out of it, but to work functionally. This is what we've been doing in recent weeks".
Continuing his analysis, Andrea Stella also commented on Lando Norris’ fastest lap, highlighting the mental step forward the British driver has taken compared to the recent past:
"If we look at the lap in Q3 that earned him pole position, there are a couple of corners where he wasn't very precise. The Lando from Jeddah might have been caught up in emotion and demoralization, but instead, he stayed calm and made the difference in the last two corners. My impression, knowing Lando and Oscar’s talent and resources, is that we’ve only seen a part of it, there’s still a lot of talent to work on and capitalize. I want to believe that we are only at the beginning. The win in Monaco is extremely important for our journey. Personally, it’s been over 20 years since I was part of a team that won in Monaco, so it’s also significant on a personal level. It’s been a long time for McLaren as well: we’ve been so far from winning races that now winning in Monaco is another milestone in this new journey we are on".
Lando Norris hadn’t won in six races. The McLaren driver had started the World Championship well, winning in Australia, but then heard the Australian national anthem four times and the Dutch one twice after the six races that followed his success in Melbourne. Norris had had a big advantage already in Imola, but in Monaco, his victory in the direct duel with his teammate was clear-cut. Above all, Norris was back on top in Qualifying, an aspect that had been bothering him a lot as his speed on a fast lap had always been one of his distinctive features. After the race, Lando Norris reflected on how important this personal redemption in Monaco was after months of negative comments directed at him:
"People can write whatever they want. It’s not up to me. People have their own opinions, but the fact is that in 99% of cases, they are unfounded or not true. So, it's all nonsense. I don’t care what people write, as long as I know the truth and my team knows the truth. In the last few months, I’ve worked hard to regain the confidence I had in Australia. What I felt this weekend was a small step forward. It’s not like I’ve nailed it and everything is back to how it was. There are still things I need to work on as a driver, and others I need to work on with the team to have a car that I’m comfortable with. Anyway, I’m very proud of the pole on Saturday, I’m happier about that result than the victory. I’ve always been a fast driver in Qualifying, and getting that aspect back is the most important thing for me. If you don’t show your best level, you can’t compete with the best drivers in the world. No one knows the amount of work and effort that’s been put in, except for me and the team, and those are the only two entities that need to know how things are and that’s how it will stay".
After qualifying second, Charles Leclerc knew that something extraordinary would have to happen to win in Monte Carlo. And, of course, it didn’t. At the start, Leclerc couldn’t attack Norris and followed him for almost the entire race. Even the two mandatory pit stops didn’t give him a chance to challenge the British driver.
"I’m a little disappointed. I’m always disappointed when I’m not first, but you have to be satisfied and take advantage when you do a good job. And I think we did that overall. The potential of the SF-25? The car was strong this weekend, and I think we’re quite good with curbs and bumps. But I don’t expect magic on other tracks. We’ll see. I believed until the last lap, but we knew that on paper it would be very complicated. I’m not particularly disappointed today, more for yesterday. Overall, the weekend was extremely positive, so that’s great".
Charles Leclerc is fifth in the World Championship with 79 points, 82 points behind the leader of the World Championship, Oscar Piastri. While Leclerc at least tried to show himself in Norris’ mirrors, the other Ferrari, driven by Lewis Hamilton, had a race of its own. The seven-time World Champion was initially stuck behind Isack Hadjar and Fernando Alonso, but with their pit stops, he was able to push and complete an overcut to take fifth place. However, the British driver’s race plateaued, with neither the pace to reach the top 4 nor the possibility of losing the top 5. Hamilton himself confessed that he had little understanding of today’s race.
"I can’t explain the gap. It’s kind of crazy to see it, but it happens. As for me, I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere. I started with a penalty, stayed behind two cars for a while, then managed to pass them. But then I found myself in no-man’s land. I believe the gap was quite large, and I wasn’t racing anyone. I needed a Safety Car or something like that, but it didn’t come. The strategy wasn’t very clear to me. The information wasn’t exactly clear, and for most of the GP, I barely knew anything. They told me on the radio: 'This is our race.' But I didn’t know what I was fighting for, whether it was to catch the car ahead or something else. Actually, when I look at the data, I wasn’t near anyone in the front. So, I wore out my tires in that moment, but I was still very far from them. I have a feeling of emptiness. Arriving at a weekend where you hoped to do better makes you feel a bit down, but luckily, we have another race next week".
Nevertheless, considering the circumstances, Ferrari can be satisfied with the results of the Monaco Grand Prix. Nothing more could have been done in Monte Carlo against a McLaren that demonstrated its clear superiority, with Lando Norris, once he had clear air in front of him, shaking off the pressure from Charles Leclerc. Ferrari’s team principal, Frederic Vasseur, commented on today’s results:
"On Thursday, we would have signed for second place. It’s true that after being first in all the free practice sessions we expected more and were a bit frustrated after qualifying, but today we did our job and overtaking was practically impossible. With Lewis's penalty, we only had the pace to stay in the mix with the McLarens, and that really put us against the wall. Charles did a great job; he was consistent and always there, but for us, attacking was impossible. It’s hard to draw conclusions. I had the feeling some teams played as a unit, slowing one car down to give the other a free pit stop. Clearly, the two-stop rule allows for these kinds of tricks, and I can understand the drivers’ frustration when they’re stuck behind a slower car in the race - it’s not ideal. We need to discuss this internally with the other teams, the FIA, and FOM to understand what can be done to improve the situation. Hamilton? The penalty affected his performance".
Vasseur says Ferrari will not bring updates to Montmeló in order to have a clearer picture of the hierarchy with the new front wings:
"From Spain onwards there will be a new regulation for the front wing, and all teams have marked this race on the calendar as a turning point. We don’t know exactly how others will perform in these new conditions. There could be a reset, but in the meantime, we need to focus on ourselves and improve in every type of corner. We’ve made good progress in high-speed corners, and this race was solid in low-speed ones. Let’s try to confirm everything in Spain. Updates? In Barcelona, all teams will have a new front wing and I think it makes sense to only bring that, to get a clearer picture".
On one hand, there was the mysterious team radio exchange (“Are you mad at me?”) that went unanswered by Riccardo Adami, while on the other hand, Lewis Hamilton was quite blunt in admitting he didn’t understand the strategy - nor his engineer’s request to push at a certain point in the race, when he was anyway far from his rivals. On this, Ferrari’s team principal downplays the situation, denying any tension between the British driver and his experienced engineer. According to the French manager, some missed responses were simply due to the standard decision not to distract the driver in technical parts of the track.
"When the driver asks something between Turn 1 and Turn 3, we then have to wait for the radio to sync before replying, and we avoid talking to him when he's in the corners. It’s not like we’re sleeping or having a beer on the pit wall - it’s just that there’s a section of the track where we’ve agreed not to speak. Honestly, there’s no tension. Lewis was under pressure, between the walls, fighting at 300 km/h - and that’s fine. When I spoke with him after the race, he wasn’t angry at all".
Frederic Vasseur also explained the significant gap between Lewis Hamilton and the leaders, with the British driver finishing almost a minute behind winner Lando Norris and teammate Charles Leclerc:
"He lost almost 10 seconds more than the others when he caught the group of lapped cars. I don’t remember who exactly was in that group, but for him, it was a tough moment. Probably the leaders caught those drivers one by one, so it was easier because the backmarkers knew who was coming. That wasn’t the case for Lewis, who was alone. Compared to Verstappen, who was leading at that moment, Lewis lost something like 10 seconds during those laps".
No points for Mercedes in Monaco. The Brackley team paid a high price for their qualifying disaster, with Antonelli crashing at the end of Q1 and Russell having technical issues at the start of Q2. Today, not even the mandatory double pit stop was enough for the two drivers to climb the order. The team also tried to shake things up, pitting both cars very late and running the first two-thirds of the race without a stop, while other cars were coming in and out of the pits.
"We tried something different, but it didn’t work - in fact, it went even worse. This is a race that’s won or lost on Saturday. Strategy alone wasn’t enough to score points. We simply left the cars out there, hoping for a safety car or an incident, but none of the other variables worked. Of course, we wish this event could be run in a different way, because the whole entertainment around it is fantastic - the sponsors love it, there’s a great crowd, and the race is challenging. Let’s see if we can change something next year with the rules".
Finally, the Mercedes team principal said he doesn't expect a revolution in performance levels with the introduction of the new rule regarding front wing stiffness, which will come into effect in Barcelona:
"All the teams have a flexible wing. Everyone has to change - us too. Usually, when everyone has to make the same change, it doesn’t make much difference".
The mandatory two-stop rule introduced for this edition of the Monaco Grand Prix has been criticized by many drivers, starting with George Russell, who had a weekend to forget. Starting P14 on the grid after an electrical problem in qualifying, the British driver finished P11, two laps behind the winner. To make things worse, the race stewards came down hard on Russell, penalizing him for overtaking Alexander Albon by cutting the Nouvelle Chicane without giving the place back. Instead of the standard 10-second penalty, Russell received a drive-through, with the FIA stating that the move was deliberate - aimed at gaining a gap and finishing ahead of Albon despite the penalty. Before the race even started, Race Control had already made clear that such overtaking would be punished with a drive-through.
"With this new two-stop rule, it really felt like a game of chess. The strategy was for me and Kimi to help each other and gain places during the race. Unfortunately, Williams and Racing Bulls used the same tactic, leaving us without real alternatives. We still tried to play the long game, hoping for a safety car or a red flag, but nothing happened. With this rule, it was easy for teams to cooperate, swap positions, and hand out free pit stops. Driving four seconds off the pace and not being overtaken is easy here in Monaco, so the math to make it work is simple. On the bright side, I really enjoyed the last 10 laps. Monaco is one of the best circuits in the world and I got to push to the limit and enjoy it to the fullest in the final stages".
Russell himself confirmed the deliberate move to cut the chicane:
"At one point I just said: To hell with it! I want to enjoy Monaco. I didn’t get the chance in qualifying. I did 25 qualifying laps in the race and at least I enjoyed that. Ironically, I finished in a better position taking the drive-through than I would have if I hadn’t. Sadly, the system is flawed. That wasn’t the plan - the plan was to overtake. I didn’t want to spend 77 laps staring at someone else’s gearbox, risking myself with drivers braking on the straight and playing team games".
At the end of the interview, the British driver couldn’t resist a joke:
"I’m having dinner with Alex tonight - so he’ll pay the bill".