The F1 grid heads to Circuit de Monaco for round eight, reaching a third of the 2025 season. Despite the usual lack of thrilling action, Monaco has its unique way of providing race-defining moments.
Round Eight of the F1 2025 Season: Monaco GP
Next up in the triple-header of the European stages, F1 cruises to the streets of the Principality. An epitome of prestige and glamour, the Monaco GP remains one of the most iconic and long-standing hosts of the motorsport series’ race.
A leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, a victory in this track further strengthens the legacy of this Grand Prix. It is also home to Ferrari’s very own Charles Leclerc, who finally secured his first home race win last season after years of devastating attempts.
Track Overview
Despite being the shortest track on the F1 calendar, Circuit de Monaco managed to squeeze in a variety of challenges. Its 3.337 kilometre layout features tight and low-speed corners, which include the notable ones such as Fairmount Hairpin, Sainte Dévote, and Tabac. This is a great testing ground for precision and concentration, navigating each corner smoothly for a perfect lap around the circuit.
The elevation changes at certain points of the circuit, especially the Casino Square and Rascasse, added more complexity to the already challenging track. Adjusting the braking points and throttle would be taken into account to accommodate the differing gradients around these sectors.
The track also passes through a tunnel, forcing the drivers to race under the dark for a couple of seconds. Besides the quick switch of lighting, the drivers would also have to overcome different aerodynamic conditions.
A prominent feature of the circuit is its narrow course, which is also sheltered by threatening barriers. This undoubtedly offers limited overtaking opportunities. Hence, track position is vital, as it can make or break a driver’s stint.
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Weather Forecast and Tyre Strategies
The weather is forecasted to be dry for most of the practice sessions, though there may be a moderate chance of rain on FP2.
There is another prediction of rain arriving on Saturday’s qualifying, though the likelihood is higher. But importantly, the race day is expected to be held in dry and sunny conditions.
As mentioned before, qualifying plays a key role for the rest of the weekend. The lack of run-off areas is complicated for the current generation of cars, where they run with maximum aero downforce.
Regardless of red flags and incidents, the Monaco GP has always been a one-stopper. The difficulty of overtaking and relatively low tyre degradation allows the drivers to pit for only once.
Based on the past few years, Sainte Dévote and Nouvelle Chicane have been common spots for overtaking attempts. There may be a repeat of this for this season’s edition, where drivers place a higher level of concentration around these sections in the hunt for higher point-scoring positions.
Besides a strong mental focus, conquering all 78 laps of the 19-turn circuit also demands great tyre management.
In a bid to provide more excitement for the Grand Prix, the FIA introduced the mandatory two-stop this year. This meant that teams would need to prepare three sets of compounds, rather than the standard two sets.
For this round, F1’s official tyre supplier Pirelli allocated the softest trio of their 2025 range: the C4 (Hard), C5 (Medium) and C6 (Soft) compounds.
An additional set of Full Wets is prepared for the teams in case of wet-weather conditions.
Pirelli elaborates more on this in their notes for the race weekend:
“It will be interesting to see how this affects teams’ race strategies. For example, with no clear pit-stop windows, it could present opportunities for drivers starting from further back to move up the order by making the most of running in clean air.
“Having two stops should also rule out concerns about tyre degradation, even if it is in any case very low at this track. It could even lead to the use of the Soft compound, especially for those making a late second stop or in the case of a Safety Car period in the closing stages.” – Pirelli
Key Talking Points to Watch Out For
Is Leclerc Set for Another Home Glory?
Leclerc has a tricky start to 2025, finishing only P8 in the season opener in Australia and being disqualified in the following round in China. He even exited Q2 alongside teammate Lewis Hamilton back in Imola.
Though his gradual progress from early disappointments is commendable, as evident in his podium finish in Jeddah and maintaining in the top eight these past 7 races, bar China. Heading to Monte Carlo, the Monégasque may need a lot of luck to land on another podium spot this time, especially in front of his home crowd.
Can Verstappen Finally Rise Above the McLarens?
Throughout the opening stages of the season, Verstappen has won two out of the seven races. That also makes him the only non-McLaren race winner as of Imola.
Despite the ongoing issues with the RB21, he showed the typical Verstappen fashion of resilience all around, sustaining himself in the title fight. Monaco may present him an opportunity to finally overtake the McLarens in the standings, with Lando Norris being 9 points ahead.
Red Bull vs Mercedes
Red Bull, now 16 points adrift, chases the second-placed Mercedes in the championship standings. Should Mercedes rapidly rise to the challenge from the unfortunate previous round, the Brackley-based camp may have the chance of extending the gap between them and the Austrian team.
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Monaco GP Weekend Schedule
Friday, May 23
FP1: 12.30 BST
FP2: 16:00 BST
Saturday, May 24
FP3: 11.30 BST
Qualifying: 15:00 BST
Sunday, May 25
Monaco Grand Prix: 14:00 BST
READ NEXT: Ferrari Faces New Challenges in Monaco
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / DeFodi Images
Recording Date: 23.05.2025
