You know how people say Monaco is basically a parade with very fast cars? Well, that definitely wasn't the case in 2025. If you've been asking who won the monaco grand prix lately, the answer is Lando Norris. He didn't just win it; he wrestled that McLaren through the tightest corners on the planet to take the checkered flag on May 25, 2025.
It was intense. Honestly, my heart was in my throat during those final laps.
Norris started on pole, which is usually half the battle in Monte Carlo. But the 2025 race had a new twist: a mandatory two-stop rule. That changed everything. Usually, teams just crawl along to save tires and make a one-stop work, but this time, the pit lane was a revolving door of drama.
How Lando Norris Secured the Win
The race wasn't a walk in the park. At the very first corner—Sainte Devote—Lando had a massive double lock-up. You could practically smell the toasted rubber through the screen. Charles Leclerc, the local hero who won here in 2024, was breathing down his neck the entire time. Leclerc finished P2, just 3.1 seconds behind.
It was a tactical chess match.
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Max Verstappen tried something totally different. He stayed out forever, hoping for a Safety Car that never really came. He actually led the race until the very last laps before he had to dive in for his final mandatory stop. He ended up fourth. Oscar Piastri rounded out the podium in third, making it a massive day for McLaren.
The 2025 Monaco Podium Finishers
- Lando Norris (McLaren) - 1:40:33.843
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - +3.131s
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - +3.658s
The Strategy That Shook the Principality
The FIA really threw a wrench in the works with that two-stop mandate. In years past, you'd see drivers like Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso just "parking the bus" to keep people behind. Not this time. Because everyone had to box twice, the "net lead" kept jumping around.
Norris took his first set of Hard tires on Lap 19. He rejoined in fourth, but he had a massive gap of clean air. That’s where he won the race, really. He put in qualifying-style laps while the others were stuck in traffic or dealing with slow pit stops—looking at you, Ferrari and Red Bull.
Verstappen’s gamble was the big talking point. Red Bull pinned everything on a late-race interruption. It’s the classic Monaco "hail mary." But the 2025 race was surprisingly clean at the front, meaning Max dropped from the lead to P4 in the blink of an eye when he finally pulled into the pits on Lap 77.
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Why This Win Matters for McLaren
This wasn't just another trophy for the cabinet. This was McLaren’s first win in the Principality since Lewis Hamilton did it back in 2008. That is a long time to wait.
Lando has had his fair share of "almost" moments. Critics often pointed to his qualifying errors or mid-race wobbles. But in 2025, he looked different. Smarter. He managed the pressure of a home-town favorite chasing him and the weirdness of a brand-new strategy rule without breaking.
Recent Monaco Grand Prix Winners
- 2025: Lando Norris (McLaren)
- 2024: Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- 2023: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- 2022: Sergio Pérez (Red Bull)
- 2021: Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
What Happened to the Rest of the Grid?
Lewis Hamilton had a bit of a nightmare. He started seventh because of a grid penalty for impeding Verstappen in qualifying. He ended up fifth, over 50 seconds behind Norris. You could tell he was frustrated on the radio; the Ferrari switch-up hasn't been the smooth sailing many expected.
George Russell had it even worse. A mechanical issue in qualifying meant he started 14th. He tried to get aggressive, cut a corner to pass Alex Albon, and got slapped with a drive-through penalty. Monaco is unforgiving.
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Then there was Ollie Bearman. The kid started dead last and finished outside the points, but he managed to jump eight spots. On a track where passing is basically impossible, that’s actually incredible.
Actionable Insights for F1 Fans
If you're looking to understand why the result of who won the monaco grand prix shifted so much recently, keep these factors in mind:
- Watch the Qualifying: In Monaco, 90% of the race is decided on Saturday. Norris won because he nailed his final Q3 lap.
- Track the Technical Regs: The 2025 two-stop rule was a game-changer. Always check if the FIA has tweaked pit requirements before a street circuit race.
- Sector 2 Performance: If a car is "peaky" or struggles with bumps (like the 2025 Alpine or Ferrari at times), they will lose chunks of time in the middle sector.
The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix proved that even the most "boring" track can turn into a thriller when you force the strategists to actually work for their money. Lando Norris is now part of that elite club of winners in the harbor, and based on how he drove, it likely won't be his last.
To get the most out of future races, focus on the "undercut" timing. In 2025, the winner was decided by who found clean air first after the first round of stops. Study the interval gaps on the live timing screens during the next street race; if a leader has a 20-second window to drop into, they've basically already won.