Formula 1: Lando Norris wins 2025 Monaco GP, closes championship gap on Piastri
Lando Norris took centre stage in Formula 1’s most prestigious race, delivering a cool and calculated drive to win the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix. Starting from pole, the McLaren driver kept his composure through 78 tight laps, despite early drama and relentless pressure from behind, reported IANS. Norris locked up into the first corner but quickly regained his rhythm, managing traffic, strategy calls, and Virtual Safety Car interruptions with precision. Even the new two-stop rule at Monaco – introduced this year to encourage more excitement on a track notorious for limited overtaking – didn’t shake his focus. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, racing in front of his home crowd, kept the pressure on all race long. But despite narrowing the gap late in the race, he was unable to mount a serious challenge for the win and had to settle for second.Max Verstappen, who led briefly near the end thanks to a late pit stop strategy, ultimately dropped to fourth after finally diving into the pits just before the final lap. Oscar Piastri completed the podium in third, securing a double podium finish for McLaren and keeping the title fight alive. With this result, Piastri’s lead in the drivers’ standings is now just three points ahead of Norris.Lewis Hamilton quietly climbed his way to fifth after receiving a penalty post-qualifying for impeding Verstappen. Rookie Isack Hadjar impressed in sixth for RB, ahead of Haas’ Esteban Ocon and teammate Liam Lawson.
Williams had a solid day with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz grabbing ninth and tenth, holding off George Russell, whose frustration with Albon’s robust defending earned him a drive-through penalty after an illegal overtake. Further back, Haas’ Ollie Bearman recovered from a ten-place grid drop and a wild opening lap to finish 12th, ahead of Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto. Bortoleto had a scare early on after a brush with Kimi Antonelli at Portier but managed to keep going and cross the line ahead of Lance Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg, and Yuki Tsunoda. Antonelli, who delayed his pit stops to the final laps, finished 18th. The race saw two retirements – Fernando Alonso bowed out due to engine issues, and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly exited after contact with Tsunoda in the tunnel section. As F1 leaves the streets of Monte Carlo, the championship picture tightens, and McLaren leaves with the biggest smile – a win, a double podium, and a title race heating up fast. (Inputs from IANS).
