TLDR: Monaco wins from pole. Cars driving at 75% pace.

Race

Norris has a great start off the line however Leclerc was very close behind. This caused Norris to have a lock up into turn 1 which will hurt those tyres however mandatory 2 pit stop shouldn’t have too much of a problem.

Antonelli made an overtake on Bortoletto into Portier however Bortoletto ended up in the barriers. This brought in a VSC as Bortoletto managed to get the car going again. The Sauber driver really should’ve chosen who he is racing. It’s a serious conversion though is the former F2 champion ready for F1. He is the worst performing rookie.

A few drivers decided to pit on the first lap and to their delight that is when the VSC was activated giving them a shorted pit stop. Tsunoda and Gasly had a great pit taking advantage however Bearman who also pitted had a disaster with the pit crew not being ready. Once Bearman came out though he was 3 seconds quicker than the leader.

Unfortunately for the early pitting duo there was contact as Gasly locked up on the exit of the tunnel and hit Tsunoda. The crazy part is instead of Gasly taking the escape road in front he spread debris over the tack all the was back to the pits.

Max trying to over take under double waved yellows in sector 2 and then came on the radio saying that Piastri cut him off. He should be careful because it sounds like Verstappen may have been speeding under double waved yellows.

Alonso was the first of the top 5 to pit on lap 17 switching from Hards to Mediums. Hamilton was then told to push on the radio. It’s Hammertime! Hamilton boxed on lap 18 for another set of Hards. Undercutting Alonso.

McLaren bring Norris in on Lap 19 for a set of hards coming out in front of Hamilton. Piastri came in on Lap 21 to overtake Leclerc however It was a poor pit stop of 3.8 seconds. Issues again for McLaren at the rear of the car like Imola.

Lap 22 Leclerc comes in to successfully cover the undercut of Piastri. Even though Piastri did get Leclerc he successfully kept Verstappen behind. Redbull left Verstappen out 2 laps too long At this point they needed to look out for Hadjar who had completed his mandatory pits.

Real talk, the team game that they were playing in Monaco was honestly detrimental to the race. We thought two mandatory pitstop and make things more interesting when all it did was for the team to designate an A and a B driver and for the B driver just hold up and extend the gap for the a driver. As Williams fan it was not how I wanted to see us earn points. We just held up positions from 10th down and Lawson at VCARB holding positions from eighth down. I normally like the Monaco race on the calendar from a nostalgia perspective but if we’re not going to see teams aim to go faster then either take it off the calendar or make the car smaller

Alonso on Lap 38 had to retire the car due to smoke coming from the car. The unluckiest driver and rookie in formula 1.

Russell received a drive-through penalty for overtaking Alex Albon by cutting the Nouvelle Chicane. Frustrated by Williams' strategic tactics, which involved Albon and teammate Carlos Sainz deliberately managing their pace to block Russell and benefit their own pit strategies, Russell chose to pass Albon by skipping the chicane. He refused to return the position, stating over team radio that he preferred to take a penalty rather than remain stuck behind the Williams. In response, the stewards imposed a harsher-than-usual drive-through penalty for the illegal overtake.

Max Verstappen employed a strategic approach by delaying his second mandatory pit stop, aiming to capitalise on a potential Virtual Safety Car (VSC) or Safety Car (SC) period. This tactic was designed to minimise time loss during pit stops, a common strategy at Monaco where overtaking opportunities are scarce. However, the anticipated race-neutralising events did not materialise, and Verstappen ultimately finished fourth, mirroring his starting position .

In the closing laps of the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix, Lando Norris held off intense pressure from Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri in a gripping three-way battle for victory. Despite Leclerc’s pace and home crowd support, overtaking proved impossible as Norris defended flawlessly through Monaco’s tight, twisting streets. Piastri remained close behind, ready to capitalise, but the order stayed unchanged, with Norris securing his first win in Monte Carlo, Leclerc finishing a frustrated second, and Piastri completing the podium. Pole, Fastest Lap and Win. Perfect weekend for the Brit and McLaren.

Analysis

The tyre strategy data from the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix illustrates how teams navigated the mandatory two-stop rule using all compounds of tyres. McLaren opted for a Medium Hard Hard strategy, increasing grip at the start and end while using mediums the hards to stretch the middle and last stint without compromising pace. Leclerc went Medium Hard Medium(Used). Obviously looking to attack in the last stint.

Verstappen took a more strategic gamble, extending his second stint on mediums in the hope of a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) or Safety Car (SC), which ultimately never came. This left him unable to challenge for a podium. Notably, softs were rarely used, with only Hülkenberg deploying them for long stints.

The race standings graph highlights a stable yet strategic race, with Lando Norris leading for the majority after taking the top spot around Lap 20. Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri maintained strong podium contention, while Verstappen, despite running close early on, could not break into the top three. Notably, Hamilton made gradual progress, finishing fifth, while Russell’s penalty is reflected in his drop from a potential points finish to outside the top ten. The graph also shows how drivers like Albon and Sainz managed to hold their positions in the midfield through strategic driving and pit timing, while Gasly retired early.

The pit stop data from the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix reveals that Mercedes executed the fastest average pit times at 23.48 seconds, closely followed by Ferrari and VCARB. For Mercedes it was irrelevant but for the other teams these marginal gains proved critical on a track where track position is everything. Sauber, on the other hand, had the slowest pit performance by a significant margin, averaging 26.95 seconds over 3 seconds slower than the fastest. The overall mean pit time across teams was 24.51 seconds, suggesting that any deviation, particularly on the slower end, could drastically affect a driver's race strategy and finishing position.

Summary

It is a very serious conversation that need to be had. Does Monaco remain on the calander. For it to remain on the calendar I believe it needs radical changes. Here are my suggestions.

• Increased minimum pace to avoid teams going 6 seconds below race pace.

• Change the track layout. Allow a longer run up to the tunnel or after the tunnel

• Make the cars smaller. The cars have clearly outgrown the track.

Question

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