If you were expecting the usual Monaco "procession," the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix results might have actually surprised you. It wasn't just a Sunday drive.
Lando Norris won.
He didn't just win; he managed to keep a charging Charles Leclerc and his own teammate Oscar Piastri at arm's length while navigating a brand-new mandatory two-stop rule that had everyone—teams, drivers, and fans—kinda scratching their heads. For a race often criticized for being boring, the strategy games played out in the harbor this year felt a lot more like high-stakes chess than a parade.
The Big Winner: Lando Norris Delivers
Norris started on pole and, honestly, almost threw it away in the first ten seconds. He had a massive double lock-up at Sainte Devote. You could practically hear the McLaren garage hold its breath. But he held it. He kept the lead over Leclerc and never really looked back, eventually crossing the line to take his first-ever win in the Principality.
It was a huge moment for McLaren. They hadn't won here since 2008.
The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix results show Norris finishing with a time of 1:40:33.843. He was followed by Leclerc in P2 (+3.131s) and Piastri in P3 (+3.658s). It was tight. At one point in the closing laps, less than two seconds separated the top three.
Why the Strategy Was a Mess
The FIA introduced a mandatory two-stop rule for 2025 specifically for Monaco. The goal was to stop the "cruise and save tyres" tactic that has made previous years a bit of a snooze-fest. Did it work? Sorta.
Max Verstappen tried to be the clever one. He ran an alternate strategy, staying out until the literal penultimate lap—Lap 77 of 78—before making his second required stop. It meant he "led" a large chunk of the race, but everyone knew it was artificial. When he finally boxed, he tumbled down to P4, finishing 20 seconds off the lead.
The frustration was visible. Verstappen’s radio was a goldmine of sarcasm, at one point comparing his gear shifts to a 1972 gearbox.
2025 Monaco Grand Prix Results: The Full Classification
Here is how they finished after 78 laps of chaos, narrow misses, and expensive carbon fiber:
- 1. Lando Norris (McLaren): 25 Points (and the Fastest Lap: 1:13.221)
- 2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): 18 Points
- 3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren): 15 Points
- 4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull): 12 Points
- 5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari): 10 Points
- 6. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls): 8 Points
- 7. Esteban Ocon (Haas): 6 Points
- 8. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls): 4 Points
- 9. Alexander Albon (Williams): 2 Points
- 10. Carlos Sainz (Williams): 1 Point
George Russell finished P11, just outside the points. He had a rough weekend—qualified 14th after a mechanical issue and then caught a drive-through penalty for an illegal move on Albon. He wasn't happy.
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Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Struggles
Seeing Hamilton in red is still weird, right?
He finished 5th, but he was nearly a minute behind Norris. He started 7th due to a grid penalty for impeding Verstappen in qualifying, and he just never seemed to have the pace to challenge the frontrunners. While Leclerc was hounding the McLarens, Hamilton was stuck in a bit of a "no man's land," managing tyres and complaining about the lack of front-end grip.
Casualties of the Portier
We didn't get a full Safety Car—the first time that's happened in Monaco since 2021—but we did lose two cars.
Pierre Gasly was the first to go. He tangled with Yuki Tsunoda coming out of the tunnel on Lap 7 and that was that. Later, Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin gave up the ghost on Lap 36 with an engine failure. For a guy who loves this track, it was a pretty miserable afternoon.
The Championship Picture
Post-race, the standings are incredibly tight. Lando Norris’s win, combined with his fastest lap (though note: the extra point for fastest lap was actually abolished for the 2025 season), has put him just three points behind his teammate Oscar Piastri in the Drivers' Championship.
- Lando Norris: 423
- Max Verstappen: 421
- Oscar Piastri: 410
It's a three-way fight that's going to go down to the wire. McLaren is currently dominating the Constructors' race, sitting 172 points clear of Mercedes.
What You Should Take Away
The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix results prove that even on a track where overtaking is "impossible," strategy can still create a spectacle. The two-stop mandate forced teams to actually race rather than just manage degradation.
If you're following the season, keep an eye on the McLaren intra-team rivalry. Norris and Piastri are driving the wheels off that car, and with Verstappen struggling to keep the Red Bull balanced on street circuits, the momentum has clearly shifted toward Woking.
Next Steps for F1 Fans:
Check the upcoming calendar for the Canadian Grand Prix. If the Red Bull RB21 continues to struggle with kerb-riding and bumps like it did in Monte Carlo, we might see Norris take the lead of the World Championship in Montreal. Review the tire wear data from Monaco as well—it explains exactly why Verstappen's late-stop gamble failed to net him a podium.