The streets of Monte Carlo echoed once again with the roar of Formula 1 as the 2025 F1 season rolled into its most iconic venue. Under a pristine Mediterranean sky and with the harbour packed with luxury yachts, Charles Leclerc delivered the fastest lap in Friday’s first practice session for the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix—despite an early run-in with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll that could have derailed his afternoon.
What To Know
- Charles Leclerc played down his and Ferrari’s chance’s of a 2024 victory repeat this weekend but, despite an eventful first session which even included a collision, Monaco’s own Charles Leclerc’s set the pace in an eventful first Practice session.
- Lecelerc was 1:11.964 – two tenths up on the corresponding fastest P1 time last year – and saw him finish 0.163s ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and 0.326s clear of McLaren’s Lando Norris.
- Championship leader, Oscar Piastri, who set his best time on the slower mediums, was fifth, while Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton managed ninth after his own P1 issues launching a curb to avoid a slow Mercedes.
Leclerc, the home hero with everything to prove in front of the Monegasque crowd, set the benchmark with a 1:11.964 lap, edging out Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by just over a tenth. McLaren’s Lando Norris was close behind in third, continuing his strong form in a season that’s shaping up to be one of the most hotly contested in recent memory.
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The session wasn’t without incident. Just minutes into FP1, Leclerc locked up and slid into the Mirabeau Haute run-off, managing a neat reverse to escape. But the drama escalated when he clipped the back of Stroll’s Aston Martin at the hairpin. Stroll, having just let another car through, rejoined the racing line under braking and was collected by Leclerc—sidelining the Canadian with broken rear suspension and forcing a gearbox change.
Once running resumed, it was clear that Monaco’s notorious fight for track space had already begun. Drivers jostled for clean air, setting the stage for what promises to be a chaotic qualifying. Pierre Gasly vented over team radio after getting boxed in at the chicane, while Verstappen was left fuming after being forced to abandon a flying lap due to traffic.
Norris initially led the timesheets on soft tyres with a 1:12.290, but Leclerc found extra pace late in the session to reclaim P1. Ferrari, however, didn’t appear entirely satisfied, with Leclerc airing frustrations about the car’s balance—a sign that there could be more pace to unlock ahead of Saturday’s crucial qualifying.
Further back, the usual Monaco margin for error showed itself in full force: Oscar Piastri brushed the wall and returned to the pits for checks, Lewis Hamilton had a wild moment over the kerbs at Turn 15/16, and multiple drivers came perilously close to the barriers in a high-intensity final third of the session.
Alex Albon stunned with a rapid lap to put his Williams in fourth, ahead of championship leader Piastri and George Russell. Carlos Sainz followed closely in seventh, while Gasly, Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso—carrying the flag solo for Aston Martin after Stroll’s exit—rounded out the top ten.
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli led the rookies in 11th, with Nico Hulkenberg, Isack Hadjar, and Yuki Tsunoda in pursuit. Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon slotted into the midfield, while the final group featured Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, F1 returnee Franco Colapinto, and the sidelined Stroll.
Stroll hit with grid penalty after Leclerc clash
Lance Stroll received a one-place grid penalty for the Monaco Grand Prix after stewards ruled him fully at fault for the collision with Charles Leclerc during FP1. The incident occurred early in the session when Stroll, having moved aside for another car, returned to the racing line under braking for the hairpin—only to be rear-ended by Leclerc, who damaged his front wing. The clash brought out a red flag and ended Stroll’s session due to rear suspension and gearbox damage. After reviewing footage and data, the stewards deemed Stroll “wholly to blame” and applied the grid drop for Sunday’s race.
2025 Monaco GP FP1 Results
2025 Monaco Grand Prix FP1, 23 May 2025
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:11.964 | 32 | |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:12.127 | +0.163s | 29 |
| 3 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:12.290 | +0.326s | 31 |
| 4 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:12.314 | +0.350s | 33 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:12.342 | +0.378s | 27 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:12.482 | +0.518s | 32 |
| 7 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:12.534 | +0.570s | 35 |
| 8 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:12.669 | +0.705s | 28 |
| 9 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:12.690 | +0.726s | 29 |
| 10 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:12.727 | +0.763s | 27 |
| 11 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:12.765 | +0.801s | 33 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:12.979 | +1.015s | 29 |
| 13 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:13.187 | +1.223s | 34 |
| 14 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:13.232 | +1.268s | 31 |
| 15 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:13.329 | +1.365s | 33 |
| 16 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 1:13.394 | +1.430s | 30 |
| 17 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:13.429 | +1.465s | 36 |
| 18 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:13.470 | +1.506s | 28 |
| 19 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine Renault | 1:13.820 | +1.856s | 31 |
| 20 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:15.635 | +3.671s | 4 |
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 23 May 2025 – 25 May 2025
Race date: Sunday, 25 May, 2025
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Circuit de Monaco
Laps: 78
Circuit length: 3.337km
2024 winner: Charles Leclerc
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