Monaco will always be Monaco, no matter what rule changes are introduced to spice up the action. It remains one of the rare exceptions where the race is effectively won in qualifying rather than on race day. What followed on race day was a display of close-quarters racing — just without any real action.
Lando Norris claimed victory at the Monaco Grand Prix after converting pole position into a composed win, marking his second triumph of the season. He led home Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in a race defined by strategy and tire management.
Despite a first-corner lock-up, Norris navigated Virtual Safety Car periods, traffic, and a mandatory two-stop strategy to cut Piastri’s championship lead to just three points. Leclerc challenged at key moments but settled for second, while Piastri completed the podium.
Max Verstappen led late into the race on an alternate tire strategy but dropped to fourth after a last-minute mandatory pit stop. Lewis Hamilton recovered to fifth following a grid penalty, and rookie Isack Hadjar impressed in sixth.
Haas’ Esteban Ocon and Liam Lawson followed, with Williams’ Alex Albon and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz rounding out the top ten. George Russell missed out on points after a drive-through penalty for an illegal overtake.
Further back, Ollie Bearman, Franco Colapinto, and Gabriel Bortoleto staged strong recoveries, while several incidents, including retirements for Alonso and Gasly, added drama to the back end of the field.
