25/05/2025
NEWS STORY
In their infinite wisdom, F1 and the FIA are seeking to spice up today's race by adding a mandatory second pit stop... or rather they haven't, for as ever they have made a hash of it.
The rule actually states that three sets of tyres must be used - not three compounds which would spice things up - but three sets of tyres.
With strategists looking for all manner of loopholes, which is their job after all, most have been closed down, but not all. As a result, at a track notable for incidents and therefore red flags, the best means of following the rule would be to attempt two pit stops under a Safety Car.
The strategists are sure to be working on other scenarios but the fact is that as the powers that be look to artificially influence races surely Bernie's sprinkler proposal can't be too far away...
That wonder lap sees Norris on pole, having broken the heart of Leclerc, with Piastri starting third.
Hamilton is demoted to seventh for impeding Verstappen, thereby promoting the Dutchman, Hadjar and Alonso.
Whether Norris can convert pole into a win remains to be seen, however, while the race has been won from pole 13 times since 2005, grabbing the coveted spot will have been a major confidence boost for the youngster.
Though the Weather Gods will not play a part today, the very nature of this infamous little track is sure to, not only in terms of traffic, especially when the pit stops begin, but also over-enthusiasm.
Both of this morning's support races were somewhat marred by incidents.
This being Monaco, famed for its Casino, it is tough to predict the end result of a race which will depend, to an extent, on participants taking a gamble, be it terms of strategy, or making an opportunistic pass.
As far as Pirelli is concerned, all three compounds will come into play: in fact, drivers from three teams, Red Bull, Racing Bulls and Sauber, only have one set of hards and one of mediums, so they are bound to have to use the C6 during the race.
It was very interesting to see how the soft performed in qualifying, the C6 offering a little extra in terms of performance compared to the C5. Not a big difference, around a tenth of a second or so, a tenth and a half, but it was definitely there.
In qualifying we saw some drivers using the medium which confirms the performance gap is not that big and also, as we saw last week in Imola, that in some situations, the yellow-banded rubber can offer greater confidence compared to its softer sibling, something that takes on great importance at this track.
The noun we are seeing a lot of ahead of today's race is chaos, many of the previous races here definitely deserving of the term chaotic, whether F1's dabbling with the rules improves or spoils the spectacle remains to be seen. Sadly however, it will likely be the start of a slippery slope.
Since the first screening of the F1 movie earlier this week, drivers and team bosses have been enthusiastic, even if somewhat dismissive of the Hollywood-esque plot, all insisting that it will attract lots of new fans.
However, those new fans are going to want non-stop action, the sort they witness on the movie screen, and during the intros on TV, not processions or strategic games, consequently today's means of spicing up the show is just the start.
Ahead of the pitlane opening, a mechanic runs to Bearman's car to remove a cooling fan which has been left in his car's sidepod.
Bortoleto is first out, followed by Hadjar, Gasly, Colapinto, Tsunoda and Sainz.
Air temperature is 22 degrees C, while the track temperature is 44 degrees. It is bright and sunny. There is no risk of rain.
Bearman will be investigated after the race for being released in an unsafe condition.
Norris, Leclerc, Piastri, Hadjar, Ocon, Albon, Hulkenberg, Bortoleto, Gasly and Bearman on mediums. Tsunoda is on softs, the rest are on hards. All are on fresh rubber bar Alonso (hard), Lawson (medium), Albon (medium), Gasly (medium) and Stroll (hards).
Some interesting split strategies appear to be in use.
They head off on the formation lap. All get away.
The grid forms... very, very slowly.
They're away. Good starts from Norris and Leclerc, while Hadjar is right Piastri and Verstappen.
A big, big lock-up for Norris heading into Ste Devote but somehow he holds it together and keeps Leclerc at bay. Piastri is on the inside of Verstappen as Hadjar falls in behind and Alonso holds off Hamilton.
Bortoleto is off in the barrier at Portier. "Kimi pushed me off," he claims.
At the end of Lap 1, it's: Norris, Leclerc, Piastri, Verstappen, Hadjar, Alonso, Hamilton, O(con, Lawson and Albon. As the VSC is deployed, Bearman and Bortoleto pit. However, the Haas crew are not ready for their driver. Tsunoda and Gasly also pit.
The field continues behind the VSC as the barrier at Portier is repaired.
The VSC is withdrawn at the end of Lap 4.
Norris and Leclerc are 2.6s ahead of Piastri.
The Bortoleto incident was noted but requires no further investigation.
In 19th, Bearman posts a new fastest lap (15.576).
As Piastri falls 4s behind Leclerc, Verstappen is 2.6s down on the Australian.
Gasly has hit the barriers and has lost his left-front wheel. "I've got no brakes," he warns as he heads back to the pits.
There is debris on the track but no VSC or Safety Car.
In the pitlane, Gasly is stopped by his mechanics as he has no brakes.
Replay shows he ran into the back of Tsunoda under braking for the Nouvelle Chicane.
"Is he an idiot, what is he doing," asked the Japanese driver.
The pit entry is closed while Gasly's car is moved so nobody can pit despite the race being under double yellows.
Verstappen is unhappy with Piastri's antics.
Gasly is noted for causing a collision.
"do you think the car in front (Hadjar) respected all the yellows," asks Alonso.
Hulkenberg pits at the end of Lap 12, rejoining in 19th.
"We see abrasion on the front left," Norris is told, however he is also told that rivals are also suffering.
Colapinto pits at the end of Lap 13.
Next time around Hadjar pits, as Lawson appears to be building a gap, possibly for Verstappen. In fact, Hadjar rejoins (on softs) just ahead of his RB teammate.
"What do you want me to do, do I keep pushing," Asks Leclerc. "Plan C, we stay with Norris," he is told.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Monaco here.
Alonso and Ocon pit at the end of Lap 16, they rejoin in seventh (Alonso) and eighth, the Spaniard on hards and the Alpine driver on mediums.
Stroll pits at the end of Lap 17, as does Bearman, the Haas driver's second stop.
Next time around Hamilton pits, the Briton rejoins in 5th on hards, having undercut Hadjar.
Norris pits at the end of Lap 18, he rejoins in fourth on mediums. Hadjar makes his second stop of the afternoon, swapping the softs for hards.
"Box to overtake Leclerc," Piastri is told. He does but it is a poor stop due to an issue at the rear. He rejoins in fourth, 7s up on Hamilton. "Good pace on your out lap," he is told.
Leclerc pits at the end of Lap 21, he rejoins in third, 3.8s down on Norris and 2.4s ahead of Piastri.
"What's the plan, because that didn't work very well," asks Piastri.
18s down on Hamilton, Alonso is battling Ocon for 6th.
"Sainz is backing up," says Russell who is 0.4s down on the Spaniard in twelfth.
"My tyres don't look good," reports Verstappen, who has done 26 laps on his hards.
Bortoleto and Colapinto pit at the end of Lap 27.
Verstappen's lead is down to 5.6s and his lap times have dropped significantly.
He pits at the end of Lap 27, rejoining in fourth, 2.5s down on Piastri, on fresh mediums. Ocon also stops.
"Why are there no blue flags," asks race leader Norris as he laps back markers including a battling Stroll and Bearman.
A big slide followed by a rough ride over the kerbs at the Swimming Pool for Bearman.
Having passed Antonelli, Norris laps Russell.
"Ah, this is a joke," moans Leclerc referring to the traffic.
Lawson makes his first stop at the end of Lap 32. He rejoins in 10th, ahead of Sainz, on tenth.
"My gearshifts are like the Monaco Grand Prix 1972," says Verstappen, as Albon makes his first stop of the day.
The Thai driver rejoins in tenth, ahead of his Williams teammate.
Almost the entire field on hards now, the exceptions being Verstappen (medium), Lawson (soft), Albon (medium), Bearman (medium), Bortoleto (soft) and Colapinto (medium).
After 36 laps, the highest placed driver to have made the mandatory stops is seventh-placed Hadjar, and eighth-placed Ocon.
Bortoleto makes his third stop of the race.
Alonso heads down the escape road at Rascasse to retire. "Retire the car, smoke," he reports. The Spaniard yet to open his 2025 points account.
Anticipating a possible Safety Car the Ferrari crew head into the pitlane, but to no avail.
"The gap to Leclerc is 5s, so if we can up the pace..." Norris is told.
Sainz, Russell and Antonelli yet to pit.
At the end of Lap 41, Lawson and Albon make their second stops. They rejoin still in eighth and ninth. A strange decision by Williams to pit the Thai driver at the same time as the car running just ahead.
Albon slows at the Swimming Poll to allow his teammate through, while Antonelli misses the Nouvelle Chicane.
"This isn't how I like to go racing," admits Williams boss, James Vowles, "but this is what the rules have created."
Hulkenberg makes his second stop at the end of Lap 46.
He's driving dangerously slow, just slamming on the brakes at all areas," says Russell of Albon.
Piastri pits at the end of Lap 48, rejoining in fourth as Verstappen is told to push.
"Good stop by McLaren," the Dutchman is told, "but we now have a Safety Car window."
Leclerc responds to Piastri's undercut, he rejoins still in third, 9s ahead of the McLaren.
Sainz pits as does Norris, the Briton rejoining 4.9s down on Verstappen.
Sainz has rejoined ahead of Russell who appeared to pass Albon illegally in Turn 10. "He's going to take the 5s penalty," warns Albon.
Told to give the position back, Russell says: "I'll take the penalty, he's driving erratically."
Russell is given a drive through, at which point Antonelli misses the Nouvelle Chicane and passes Albon. Though the Italian gives the position back.
So, not only does Russell have a drive through, he has yet to make a regular stop.
Sainz pits at the end of Lap 54, as does Russell. The Spaniard rejoins in 9th an Russell tenth, ahead of Albon.
"You're doing really good," Norris is told. "Verstappen will just try and hang it out for a Safety Car."
Hamilton pits at the end of Lap 56, the Briton rejoining in 5th, 32s down on Piastri but a lap ahead of Hadjar.
The top three are covered by 1.2s, with race leader Verstappen still to make another stop.
5.8s behind, Piastri posts a new fastest lap (13.745).
"Towards the end of the race we will swap the cars back," Sainz is told. However, the Spaniard asks for the move to be delayed until the last possible moment, the situation not helped by the fact that currently the Williams pair sandwich Russell.
Russell makes his first stop of the race at the end of Lap 64. He rejoins in 11th, 5.3s ahead of his Mercedes teammate.
"Norris is slow," reports Leclerc.
On Lap 67, Sainz yields to his Williams teammate, who waves 'thank you'. They are now running 9th and 10th.
"Where is Oscar, I need him to put Charles under some pressure," urges Norris. In fact, Piastri is just 2s behind.
"Max is just backing me up," adds the McLaren driver.
Russell makes his second stop on Lap 71, his teammate has yet to make his first stop.
"Let's stay close to this fight, there could be opportunities here," Piastri is told.
Antonelli pits at the end of Lap 71, rejoining in 18th (last).
"He's doing many mistakes at the moment," says Leclerc of Norris.
Antonelli makes his second stop of the day, leaving the Red Bull pair as the only drivers still to make a second stop.
"Are they still ahead by a minute," asks Hamilton as Tsunoda makes his second stop.
Check out our Sunday gallery from Monaco here.
Consequently, Verstappen will pit at the start of the final lap.
On fresh rubber, Russell posts a new fastest lap (13.405).
Verstappen dives into the pits, leaving Norris leading Leclerc by 1.061s. The Dutchman rejoins in fourth.
In clean air, Norris soon pulls away from the Ferrari. Indeed, he posts a fastest lap also (13.221).
Norris wins, form Leclerc, Piastri, Verstappen, Hamilton, Hadjar, Ocon, Lawson, Albon and Sainz.
Russell is eleventh, ahead of Bearman, Colapinto, Bortoleto, Stroll, Hulkenberg, Tsunoda and Antonelli.
"Obviously the win would have been better," admits Piastri, "but it has been a tricky weekend. Practice was messy all the way through, and I went into qualifying with no a lot of confidence.
"I got close but not close enough," he adds, "and you run around here where you started.
"A podium in Monaco... it's not all bad. The margins are so fine, if this is a bad weekend, then it is not going too badly at all."
"At the end of the day, we lost the race yesterday," adds Leclerc. "We should have done a better job, Lando did a better job and he deserves the win.
"It is above our expectations here, I thought we would struggle to be in the top ten so it has been a good weekend. But I wish I'd won.
"Being born here, seeing all the Monegasques behind me is very special. It warms my heart to be at home and have so much support."
"It feels amazing," says race-winner Norris. "It's a long race, a long, gruelling race.
"We could push for the whole race, and we won in Monaco! An amazing weekend with pole, with today. This is what we dream of, this is what I did dream of as a kid.
"The worst bit was the end," he continues, "I felt under control the whole race but Max was backing it up a little bit and I had to manage it, back off Max and push when I needed to.
"We are going to have a wonderful night!"
While Norris might be guaranteed a wonderful night, the powers that be are going to be burning the midnight oil, for their attempt to put added spice into the race failed dismally. Indeed, other than slowing down proceedings, thanks to the strategists - who were merely doing their jobs and working for the benefit of their own teams - a number of teams races were wrecked from the outset.
If hardened fans and journos found it hard to keep track, what of those new fans attracted by Lego, The Movie and Mickey Mouse.
As James Vowles said, it's not how we want to go racing, but them's the rules!
Check out our Sunday gallery from Monaco here.