Ferrari secures a podium with Charles Leclerc in Monaco, while Lewis Hamilton finishes fifth. It was a Grand Prix that could have gone better but also worse. The race report highlights all the challenges linked to the street circuit of the Principality, which does not allow overtaking but demands a lot of strategy to try to make a difference. The Prancing Horse comes out well from Monte Carlo, although the Monegasque’s disappointment from Saturday remains.
Ferrari chooses a different strategy — the English driver starts on hard tires, while the Monegasque uses mediums. The initial launch proceeds regularly, but before entering the tunnel, Bortoleto crashes into the barriers to avoid contact with Antonelli. A virtual safety car is deployed, and the Italian team stays on track. At the fifth lap, the neutral phase ends and the race resumes. The Ferraris maintain their positions.
Charles is very active on the radio, asking for clarifications on the strategies to follow: he wants to know if they will proceed with plan A or B. It is interesting to observe how McLaren tries to extend with Piastri, who seems to be moving at a more controlled pace. Bozzi, via radio, suggests sticking to strategy B, awaiting developments. Shortly after, Gasly attempts an overtake on Yuki Tsunoda but ends up damaging his front suspension.
The Frenchman manages to slowly return to the pits, leaving debris in various parts of the track. The yellow flag is shown again, and the pit lane is temporarily closed before returning to normal. Hamilton is quite critical, pointing out the amount of debris still on the asphalt.
Charles continues to question Bozzi: it’s unclear whether he should let the Australian go or keep close behind. His engineer recommends maintaining a controlled distance, following plan B. Meanwhile, Ferrari calls Lewis in, using the “traffic jam” effect created by Hadjar to slow the pace. The Englishman returns to the track in fifth place.
Norris and Piastri also make their pit stops, while Leclerc stays out. Number 16 takes the lead and pushes to the limit. After only four laps, however, he is forced to pit: he fits hard tires and receives a minor adjustment on the front to balance the grip offered by the harder compound. By lap 23, Verstappen leads the 2025 Monaco GP.
With the Dutchman setting a strong pace, Leclerc is asked to reduce his times to avoid too large a gap in case his rival pits. Hamilton receives the same instruction. The race leaders are now approaching lapped cars, which could either help or hinder them, depending on how they manage it. Leclerc reports the situation via radio during this phase.
Leclerc manages to overtake the lapped cars without major issues, although the time lost costs him something against Norris, who regained the lead after Max’s stop. The latter, in communication with his team, jokes about the slowness of his pit stop, comparing it to that of a 1972 car, caused by a cautious engine map to avoid failures. The complexity of pit stops in Monaco makes everything more stressful.
On lap 39, Alonso retires, parking at Rascasse. Ferrari prepares to call in Leclerc but immediately backs off as the race continues normally. Hamilton, still in fifth, completes the lapped car phase. The Englishman opens the radio channel and asks Adami for updates, who reassures him that everything is under control for his race.
The final attack leads nowhere
On lap 50, Charles Leclerc makes his second stop to cover a possible undercut from Piastri. Back on track, he finds himself third behind Verstappen, who still needs to stop. Norris also changes tires, and the two start closing the gap to the world champion. During this phase, the radio emphasizes lift and coast to keep the car’s operating temperature stable.
After five laps, Hamilton also changes tires and returns to fifth place. Max is now the only one among the leaders who has not yet made the mandatory stop. His Red Bull is surrounded: Norris and Leclerc are closely behind him, Piastri is ten seconds back, Hamilton much further. The Dutchman is delaying the tire change, but a possible Safety Car would no longer be favorable.
This is because the Dutchman would still lose ground, finishing fourth. Leclerc takes advantage: he is glued to Norris and could try a move, despite the typical difficulties of overtaking in Monte Carlo. Over the radio, he asks if the McLaren driver is managing the race or if he is actually struggling. The team replies he is simply managing.
Max postpones his stop until the penultimate lap. The track clears for the pursuers, but the standings do not change. Ferrari secures the podium with Leclerc, who saw victory slip away the previous day. Hamilton finishes fifth, gaining two places from the grid. Now it’s off to Spain next weekend. Updates on the Ferrari car will arrive, and directive TD018 will come into effect.
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