McLaren Dominates the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix

Between the two McLarens was the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, who tried his best to stay ahead of his rivals. In the end, though, the team of Woking emerged as the fastest on track. With more points under its belt, the Papayas gave another showdown. But not without some hiccups.

Ups and Downs

The start of the Monaco Grand Prix was not impressive for McLaren.

Leclerc’s Ferrari #16 was the fastest during all of the Free Practice sessions, setting fastest laps one after the other on the streets he grew up on. McLaren were resigned to staying behind.

Piastri, despite having good pace, made a mistake at the Sainte Devote. At the first turn of the track, the Australian went against the barriers, damaging his front wing. Thankfully, it was nothing too serious, and he could continue the session after a pit stop.

Speaking to the media, Piastri admitted that it was a very chaotic day for him. But he was confident about the pace of the car.

And he was right, because during the Qualifying session on Saturday, it was McLaren who had the upper hand. Not only did Piastri set a good lap in Q3, but Norris took pole position from Leclerc’s hands.

McLaren Paints Monaco Orange

The Briton started on pole after an incredible lap of 1:09.954. He took his second pole of the season, managing to keep attacks from Leclerc at bay. Piastri set a lap for third, but could not lock out the front for McLaren in Monaco.

To add to the stats, Norris gave McLaren their first pole position in Monaco after 18 years. The last one was achieved in 2007 by Fernando Alonso. His lap time was also a new record for the track.

Naturally, Norris was the favourite to win the race on Sunday. Considering that Monte Carlo is not a track where the modern-day car can easily overtake, it was logical to expect this result.

He did just that. Despite locking up early on, Norris had a good start as the lights went out. Despite losing out on the top spot to Max Verstappen during the race, the Dutchman failed to pit for a second time until the final lap. Norris, on his tail, swooped in to reclaim the win he had dreamed of.

This was despite the two mandatory pit stops introduced for Monaco in 2025 and the pressure from Leclerc during the last four laps.

Thanks to his third-place finish in Monte Carlo, Piastri remains the leader of the Championship.