Lando Norris achieved a significant milestone by winning the Monaco Grand Prix for the first time in his career. He successfully fended off strong challenges from local favourite Charles Leclerc in a race that featured strategic tension and notable incidents.
Starting from pole position, Norris initially dictated the pace. The race`s dynamics shifted dramatically due to reigning world champion Max Verstappen`s strategy, who waited until the final lap to complete his mandatory pit stop. This move, enabled by a new rule requiring two stops this year, allowed Leclerc to close the gap and apply significant pressure in the concluding laps.
The victory is a crucial one for Norris, bringing him within just three points of his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who currently leads the championship standings and finished the Monaco race in third place.
Leclerc ultimately finished a close second, unable to convert his starting position into a coveted home win on the streets of Monaco. Piastri completed the podium.
Verstappen`s late pit stop resulted in him finishing fourth. Lewis Hamilton secured fifth place for Mercedes.
Despite some pre-race expectations of disruption and chaos under the new pit stop regulations, the event unfolded without a safety car or red flag. This largely processional nature of the race is expected to fuel discussions about the success and impact of the rule changes.
Further down the field, Isack Hadjar of RB finished sixth. He was briefly a contender for a surprise podium spot after a strategic sequence involving teammate Liam Lawson slowing the field. Lawson also secured points for RB, finishing eighth, just behind Esteban Ocon of Alpine, who had an impressive drive to seventh after starting 10th.
The final points-paying positions were claimed by Alex Albon of Williams in ninth and Carlos Sainz in tenth. Their tactical driving, including deliberately backing up the field behind Lawson to manage tires and track position ahead of mandatory stops, caused considerable frustration for those behind, particularly George Russell.
Russell of Mercedes repeatedly expressed his annoyance over Sainz`s slow pace. Russell eventually made an overtake by cutting the Nouvelle Chicane, an action that was deemed illegal. He defended the move afterwards, stating he had to avoid a collision with Albon. When instructed by his team to return the position, Russell responded that he would “take the penalty,” claiming the other driver was “driving erratically.”
However, instead of the expected five-second penalty, Russell received a drive-through penalty, equivalent to a 20-second post-race time penalty. His brief and sharp response upon hearing the stewards` decision was, “To be honest… I`m not going to speak.” Russell finished the race in 11th place.
Haas driver Oliver Bearman climbed from the back of the grid to finish 12th, a performance some might view as a small positive facilitated by the new regulations.
Fernando Alonso`s challenging start to the season continued as he was forced to retire his Aston Martin from a promising sixth position due to a technical issue. The Spaniard had recently described himself as the “unluckiest driver in the world” at the previous race in Imola.
The only other retirement was Pierre Gasly of Alpine, whose race ended prematurely after colliding with Yuki Tsunoda of RB early on. Gasly made contact with the rear of Tsunoda`s car entering the Nouvelle Chicane, sustaining suspension damage that led to his retirement in the pits.
Differing accounts emerged from the drivers regarding responsibility for the incident. Tsunoda`s immediate radio reaction was sharply critical, while Gasly attributed the collision to Tsunoda`s unexpected early braking. Following a post-race investigation, stewards determined Gasly was at fault and issued him a reprimand. In a separate penalty, Haas was fined €5,000 for an unsafe pit release involving Bearman.
