MONACO GP: NORRIS WINS UNDER PRESSURE

Lando Norris delivered under pressure. With the composure of a true champion, he handled every phase of the Monaco Grand Prix with remarkable calm: flawless off the line, fully focused in the always-chaotic opening laps, and clinical in the closing stages, when Charles Leclerc was breathing down his neck. It was a textbook performance, earning him his second win of the season—after Melbourne—and the sixth of his career. Interestingly, four of those victories have come on street circuits: Miami and Singapore in 2024, then Melbourne and Monaco in 2025.

Norris was in control for most of the race, except for the strategic pit stop phases that briefly saw Leclerc and Verstappen take the lead. In the closing laps, as Leclerc ramped up the pressure, Norris showed rare signs of tension, making a few minor errors that didn’t go unnoticed—Leclerc even pointed them out over the radio. The Brit quickly regrouped and, as if to silence any doubts, set the fastest lap on the final circuit. A clear message: he was still in charge.

Behind him, Oscar Piastri crossed the line in third, holding onto the lead in the championship—but just barely. His advantage over Norris is now down to three points. Piastri was clearly a bit frustrated with a qualifying session where he felt he could’ve done more. But in the race itself, he extracted everything he could.

Leclerc, meanwhile, had a standout weekend. He topped all three practice sessions, qualified second—just missing out on pole to Norris at the very last moment—and finished runner-up in the race. He tried everything to get past the McLaren but never found the opening. Still, it was his best result of 2025 so far—and the best for Ferrari, too, after their third-place finish in Jeddah.

The big question now: can Ferrari keep up this momentum heading into the rest of the season, starting next weekend in Montmeló? Or will the inconsistency that’s plagued them resurface?

As for Lewis Hamilton, he recovered well to finish fifth after a questionable qualifying penalty dropped him from fourth to seventh on the grid. His race strategy worked out, gaining two spots, but the penalty clearly changed the dynamics. Starting from the second row could’ve opened entirely different possibilities.

Max Verstappen had a quiet and ultimately frustrating race. He held the lead late into the race by delaying his second pit stop, hoping for a safety car or red flag that never came. In the end, he finished exactly where he started—fourth—and never truly threatened the front-runners.

It was a completely different story for Racing Bulls-Honda. Isack Hadjar delivered the best result of his young career, finishing sixth thanks to a brilliantly executed team strategy. Teammate Liam Lawson slowed the pack behind him just enough to help Hadjar complete a crucial undercut during the mandatory two-stop sequence. Lawson, too, had a standout day, finishing eighth and scoring his first points of the season. That kind of teamwork surely won’t go unnoticed by Red Bull.

Esteban Ocon also had a phenomenal weekend. He qualified well and finished seventh in the Haas-Ferrari, building on a strong run of form that already includes a fifth-place in Jeddah and eighth in Sakhir. Quietly but effectively, he’s now collected 20 points. His teammate Bearman, however, struggled throughout the weekend.

Williams-Mercedes had reason to celebrate, with both drivers finishing in the points: Alexander Albon ninth, and Carlos Sainz tenth. Both delivered smart, disciplined races on a track that punishes even the smallest errors.

Over at Mercedes, though, the strategy left many scratching their heads. George Russell ended up with a drive-through penalty after cutting the chicane and overtaking Albon, then failing to give the place back—reportedly on the team’s advice—thinking he could outpace the five-second penalty that was coming. The stewards weren’t impressed and handed down a harsher punishment. Things went even worse for Kimi Antonelli, who was left out on hard tires until three laps from the end. He finished dead last. There’s not much more to say about that decision.

Fernando Alonso was unlucky to retire with engine issues while running a strong sixth in his Aston Martin. Sauber-Ferrari and Alpine-Renault were mostly anonymous, with the exception of a costly error by Pierre Gasly, who collided with Tsunoda exiting the tunnel.

This Monaco Grand Prix also marked the implementation of the FIA’s new two-mandatory-pit-stop rule, intended to shake things up. While well-intentioned, it didn’t quite have the desired effect—instead, it created excessive confusion and heavy traffic from lapped cars. In fact, only the top five drivers finished on the lead lap.

© Cavalieri Garage & Co.