Lando Norris delivered a career-defining lap in a sensational end to qualifying for the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix, seizing pole position from home favourite Charles Leclerc and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in a dramatic Q3 showdown. The McLaren duo timed their final runs to perfection, squeezing two flying laps from their final sets of soft tyres. Norris’s best effort—a 1:09.954—was enough to dethrone Leclerc after the Ferrari driver briefly held top spot, electrifying the Monaco crowd.
What To Know?
- Norris on Pole: Lando Norris claimed a dramatic pole with a last-gasp 1:09.954, beating Leclerc and Piastri in a tense Q3 finale.
- Penalties Shake Grid: Hamilton, Stroll, and Bearman all received grid drops post-session for blocking or red flag infringements.
- Hadjar Shines: Isack Hadjar impressed again, qualifying sixth and moving up due to penalties, as Verstappen struggled to fifth.
Piastri slotted into third after a tight scrap, while Lewis Hamilton initially secured fourth with a strong rebound from his FP3 crash. However, post-session penalties would shuffle the order. Hamilton was handed a three-place grid drop for impeding Max Verstappen during Q1 at Massenet, moving the Red Bull driver up to P4 despite a frustrating session that left him complaining about grip and setup issues.
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Further back, Isack Hadjar continued his breakout weekend, qualifying a superb sixth for Racing Bulls and gaining another spot thanks to Hamilton’s penalty. Fernando Alonso also benefited, rising to seventh ahead of Esteban Ocon and Liam Lawson, while Alex Albon completed the top 10 in the lead Williams.
Carlos Sainz missed out on Q3 by just a fraction, citing a lack of grip in his final Q2 push. He linesd up 11th, just ahead of a disappointed Yuki Tsunoda, who was still searching for rhythm in the Red Bull. Nico Hulkenberg delivered once again for Kick Sauber to reach Q2 and would start 13th, while George Russell’s power failure in the tunnel cut short his session, leaving him 14th. Rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli crashed out in Q1 and would start 15th.
Gabriel Bortoleto narrowly missed the Q2 cut and led a pack of drivers eliminated early, including Ollie Bearman, Lance Stroll, Pierre Gasly, and Franco Colapinto. Bearman dropped to the back of the grid due to a 10-place penalty for a red flag infringement in practice, while Stroll—already hit with a one-place drop for his FP1 clash with Leclerc—received a second penalty after impeding Gasly in Q1. The stewards deemed Stroll “wholly to blame” for blocking the Alpine driver under braking into the Nouvelle Chicane, handing him a three-place drop. With Bearman starting last, Stroll effectively remains 19th.
As the 2025 F1 Season continues to deliver drama at every turn, qualifying in Monaco reminded fans why Saturday here matters more than anywhere else. With Norris on pole, McLaren poised, and Leclerc hungry on home soil, Sunday’s race promised a twist or two yet to come.
2025 Monaco GP Qualifying Results
2025 Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying, 24 May 2025
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:11.285 | 1:10.570 | 1:09.954 | 27 |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:11.229 | 1:10.581 | 1:10.063 | 27 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:11.308 | 1:10.858 | 1:10.129 | 29 |
| 4 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:11.575 | 1:10.883 | 1:10.382 | 28 |
| 5 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:11.431 | 1:10.875 | 1:10.669 | 21 |
| 6 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:11.811 | 1:11.040 | 1:10.923 | 27 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:11.674 | 1:11.182 | 1:10.924 | 30 |
| 8 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 1:11.839 | 1:11.262 | 1:10.942 | 32 |
| 9 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:11.818 | 1:11.250 | 1:11.129 | 26 |
| 10 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:11.629 | 1:10.732 | 1:11.213 | 34 |
| 11 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:11.707 | 1:11.362 | 25 | |
| 12 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:11.800 | 1:11.415 | 20 | |
| 13 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:11.871 | 1:11.596 | 23 | |
| 14 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:11.507 | DNF | 13 | |
| 15 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:11.880 | 11 | ||
| 16 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:11.902 | 13 | ||
| 17 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:11.979 | 13 | ||
| 18 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:11.994 | 11 | ||
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:12.563 | 11 | ||
| 20 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine Renault | 1:12.597 | 12 | ||
| Note – Stroll penalised one grid position for causing a collision during practice, and a further three grid positions for impeding during Qualifying. Bearman penalised 10 positions for overtaking under red flags in practice. Hamilton penalised three positions for impeding in Qualifying. | |||||||
Stroll Hit with Additional Grid Penalty After Blocking Gasly in Monaco Qualifying
Lance Stroll would carry a combined four-place grid penalty into Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix after being found guilty of impeding Pierre Gasly during Q1. Already set to drop one place for his FP1 clash with Charles Leclerc, Stroll was caught on camera blocking Gasly under braking at the Nouvelle Chicane—an incident that left the Alpine driver fuming over team radio, calling it “shocking.”
Stroll claimed he hadn’t seen Gasly approaching, but after reviewing footage, telemetry, and speaking with both drivers, stewards ruled the Aston Martin driver was at fault and issued a three-place grid drop. With both Stroll and Gasly eliminated in Q1, the penalty ultimately wouldn’t change Stroll’s starting spot, as he’ll remain 19th on the grid—one place ahead of Haas rookie Ollie Bearman, who started last due to his own 10-place penalty.
Hamilton Handed Three-Place Grid Penalty for Blocking Verstappen in Monaco Qualifying
Lewis Hamilton has been hit with a three-place grid penalty for impeding Max Verstappen during Q1 in Monaco Grand Prix qualifying, joining a growing list of penalised drivers. Stewards reviewed footage showing Hamilton moving slowly through Massenet just as Verstappen launched into a flying lap, forcing the Red Bull driver to alter his line and voice his frustration over team radio.
Although both drivers advanced to Q3—where Hamilton originally qualified fourth and Verstappen fifth—the post-session review saw the Ferrari driver penalised, dropping him to seventh on the grid. As a result, Verstappen moved up to P4, while Isack Hadjar and Fernando Alonso each gained a place.
Hamilton now lined up alongside other penalised drivers: Ollie Bearman, who dropped 10 spots for a red flag infringement in practice, and Lance Stroll, who carried a combined four-place grid penalty for separate incidents involving Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly.
2025 Monaco Grand Prix Starting Grid
The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying session.
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:09.954 |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:10.063 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:10.129 |
| 4 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:10.669 |
| 5 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:10.923 |
| 6 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:10.924 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:10.382 |
| 8 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 1:10.942 |
| 9 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:11.129 |
| 10 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:11.213 |
| 11 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:11.362 |
| 12 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:11.415 |
| 13 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:11.596 |
| 14 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | |
| 15 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | |
| 16 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:11.902 |
| 17 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:11.994 |
| 18 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine Renault | 1:12.597 |
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:12.563 |
| 20 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:11.979 |
| Note – Stroll penalised one position for causing a collision during practice, and a further three grid positions for impeding during Qualifying. Bearman penalised 10 positions for overtaking under red flags in practice. Hamilton penalised three positions for impeding in Qualifying. | ||||
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