McLaren’s Lando Norris claimed his first-ever Monaco Grand Prix victory on Sunday, May 25, 2025, navigating the iconic Monte Carlo streets with precision to secure his second win of the Formula 1 season. Starting from pole position, Norris fended off intense pressure from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and teammate Oscar Piastri, cutting Piastri’s Drivers’ Championship lead to just three points in a race marked by a new mandatory two-stop rule that failed to deliver the expected excitement.
Norris, who had not won since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, delivered a flawless performance, converting his record-breaking qualifying lap into a commanding lead at the race’s start. Despite a heart-stopping lock-up at the first corner into Sainte Devote, the British driver maintained his composure, holding off Leclerc, the hometown hero and 2024 Monaco winner, who started second on the grid. The race, anticipated to be a strategic chess match due to the FIA’s new rule requiring two pit stops to spice up the traditionally processional event, saw Norris expertly manage his tire strategy, running medium tires initially before switching to hards for two stints, splitting the 78-lap race into thirds.
Leclerc pushed Norris relentlessly, particularly in the closing stages when Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, employing an alternate strategy, stayed out on older tires, backing Norris into the Ferrari driver and creating a tense finale. Verstappen’s gamble for a safety car or red flag didn’t materialize, and his late pit stop on the penultimate lap dropped him to fourth, handing Norris the lead. The McLaren star capitalized, setting the fastest lap on the final tour to win by 3.1 seconds over Leclerc, with Piastri finishing third, 3.658 seconds behind. “It feels amazing,” Norris said after the race. “It’s a long, grueling race, but good fun. The last corner was nerve-wracking with Charles close behind and Max ahead, but we won in Monaco. It doesn’t matter how you win, I guess.”
The new pit-stop rule, introduced to counter the overtaking challenges on Monaco’s narrow streets, fell flat, producing a race described as a “damp squib” by some observers. While it created strategic permutations, with teams like Williams orchestrating driver switches to optimize positions, the anticipated chaos didn’t materialize. Incidents were few, though Alpine’s Pierre Gasly crashed into Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull on lap eight, and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso retired with an engine issue before half distance. McLaren’s dominance was clear, with Norris and Piastri securing a double podium, the team’s first Monaco win since Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 triumph.
Norris’s victory, celebrated with McLaren CEO Zak Brown on the podium, marked a significant moment in his championship campaign. Having struggled with qualifying slip-ups in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia earlier this season, his pole-to-flag masterclass in Monaco showcased his growth as a title contender. “To win in Monaco takes all the mental and technical might out of a driver,” analysts noted, with Norris proving he has the mettle to challenge for the world championship.
Leclerc, despite failing to repeat his 2024 home victory, earned the Driver of the Day vote from fans, reflecting his spirited challenge. “We lost the race yesterday in qualifying,” he admitted. “Lando did a better job, and he deserves the win. It’s above our expectations here; I thought we’d struggle to be in the top 10.” Piastri, meanwhile, survived a slide at Turn 1 and maintained pressure but couldn’t close the gap to his teammate. The result tightened the championship battle, with Piastri now leading Norris by just three points and Verstappen 25 points adrift.
The race wasn’t without controversy, as some teams’ tactics, including Williams’ strategic driver switches, frustrated rivals like Mercedes, whose George Russell finished 11th after a drive-through penalty.