Lando Norris wins maiden Monaco GP to close gap on Oscar Piastri in championship race

McLaren driver clinches victory in iconic race with Leclerc runner-up

McLaren's Lando Norris celebrates with chief executive Zak Brown after winning the Monaco Grand Prix. Reuters

Lando Norris won his maiden Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday to close the gap on McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in the battle for the 2025 drivers' world title.

Norris won a highly strategic Monaco race from pole position to cut Piastri's championship lead to three points.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished runner-up in the home race he won last year with Piastri third.

The race featured two mandatory pit stops for the first time but hopes of more action around the iconic circuit fell short, with Norris ultimately lapping all but four cars on his way to victory.

Four-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen took fourth with Lewis Hamilton in the other Ferrari rounding out the top five.

“Monaco, baby! It's a dream” Norris exclaimed over the team radio, after becoming the first McLaren driver to win on the streets of the principality since Hamilton in 2008.

“It feels amazing, it's a long gruelling race. An amazing weekend with pole, with today. This is what we dream of, this is what I did dream of as a kid,” added the 25-year-old.

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 went 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 holding George Russell up in the midfield to create a gap for teammate 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.

Last year's winner Leclerc put pressure on 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.