Lando Norris claimed his first win at the Monaco Grand Prix, starting from pole position and significantly closing the gap in the Formula One drivers’ championship. He reduced his teammate Oscar Piastri’s lead to just three points in a race that focused more on strategy than pure speed.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished in second place, the same position he held in last year’s race. Piastri secured third, while Max Verstappen from Red Bull took fourth, with all four drivers finishing in the order they started.
This race featured two mandatory pit stops for the first time, but it didn’t lead to the expected excitement on the tight streets of Monaco. Drivers played a waiting game, with Verstappen holding off his final pit stop until the second-to-last lap. Norris dominated the race, lapping all but four cars by the end.
This win marked Norris’s second victory in eight races, his first since the season opener in Australia back in March. It also marked a significant moment for McLaren, as it was their first victory in Monaco since 2008. Over the radio, Norris expressed his joy, shouting, “Monaco baby!” as he crossed the finish line.
The race wasn’t without its challenges. Norris described the last part of the race as stressful, with Leclerc close behind and Verstappen ahead. He reflected on achieving a childhood dream with this victory.
In terms of the overall standings, Lewis Hamilton from Ferrari finished fifth, followed by Isack Hadjar from Racing Bulls in sixth and Esteban Ocon from Haas in seventh. Liam Lawson scored his first points of the season in eighth place, while Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz rounded out the top ten.
Mercedes had a tough day, with George Russell finishing 11th and rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli in 18th, the last car still running. The race began with a virtual safety car after Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto crashed into the tire wall early on. He managed to continue after returning to the pits.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was the first retirement of the race, crashing into Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull after losing control due to brake failure. Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin also retired, pulling off the track with smoke coming from his car.
Looking ahead, the next race on the Formula One calendar is the Spanish Grand Prix, set to take place on June 1.