Lando Norris slashed Oscar Piastri’s title lead after navigating the two-stop strategy puzzle to clinch his first Monaco Grand Prix victory.
The British driver converted pole into the win around the famed streets of Monte Carlo as he held off home favourite Charles Leclerc in the closing stages.
It was a slow and controversial race of strategy, game-playing and tactics. The event is the jewel in the Formula One crown and undoubtedly the most famous on the 24-race calendar.
However, the prestigious venue, which sees the cars hurtle past Casino Square, round the famed hairpin, through the tunnel and along the principality’s harbour, rarely tends to lend itself to great racing. Overtaking is nigh-on impossible so, in a bid to create more strategy options, the FIA introduced a mandatory two pit-stop rule for this season.
It failed to make a huge impact on the standings, as the top four retained their order before being unable to pass in the final stages – with Leclerc second, Piastri third and Max Verstappen fourth.
Lewis Hamilton gained two places to finish fifth but was almost a minute off the lead. George Russell ultimately finished 11th.
Victory meant Norris cut his McLaren teammate’s championship lead to three points.
“Monaco, baby, yeah baby!” Norris said on the radio.
Norris survived a scare at the first corner as he had a heavy lock-up into turn one, but was able to keep his car on track and hold off local hero Leclerc.
Gabriel Bortoleto went nose-first into the barriers at Portier on lap one after Kimi Antonelli dove up his inside.
The Brazilian was able to continue but it sparked a virtual safety car, with four drivers at the back of the field coming in to pit.
Pierre Gasly was out of the race by lap nine as he thundered into the back of Yuki Tsunoda at the Nouvelle Chicane, losing his front-left wheel and claiming he had “no brakes”.
Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, who started fifth, had made both his stops by lap 19 as the leaders made their move.
Norris pitted and rejoined fourth, before Piastri was told to box in an attempt to undercut Leclerc – a move which was hampered by a slow pit stop.
Leclerc rejoined second after his stop and Verstappen stayed out until lap 28, when he re-emerged in fourth as the first round of stops changed nothing in terms of position.
Verstappen complained the upshifts on his Red Bull felt “like the Monaco Grand Prix from 1972”.
Carlos Sainz was deliberately holding Russell up in the midfield to create a gap for team-mate Alex Albon to pit.
Norris lapped all but the seven cars behind him before a pedestrian race had reached halfway.
Albon took his turn to back up Russell before Sainz’s first stop and, on lap 49, the Mercedes man charged straight on at the chicane to overtake. Mercedes told him to hand the place back but Russell replied: “I’ll take the penalty, he’s driving erratically.”
Russell was handed a drive-through penalty. “If I’m honest, I prefer not to speak,” he said.
Williams orchestrated a switch of their drivers after their game had played out, with Albon reclaiming ninth.
Out front, Norris, Leclerc and Piastri made their second stops and retained their order but Verstappen stayed out – seemingly banking on a safety car or red flag.
Piastri survived a slide at turn one before Verstappen backed Norris up into Leclerc.
Last year’s winner Leclerc heaped the pressure onto Norris in the final 10 laps but there was no way through as Verstappen made his second stop on the penultimate lap before coming home fourth.
