MONACO LOWDOWN: All the key moments as Norris realises a dream, Racing Bulls shine and famous faces enjoy the show

With a backdrop unlike any other, McLaren's Lando Norris claimed his first Monaco Grand Prix win – fulfilling one of his dreams in the process – and delivered a Qualifying pole lap that was simply stunning. But that wasn't everything to report back on from Monte Carlo as we round up all the highlights in our Monaco lowdown...

Norris masters the Monaco streets

Lando Norris made a huge statement when the 2025 season got under way in Australia, charging to pole position before mastering the tricky, mixed weather conditions and resisting pressure from Max Verstappen on race day.

It has not been such a smooth ride since then, though, with the Briton struggling to consistently get the most out of McLaren’s new package, making some high-profile mistakes in Qualifying and being out-performed by less experienced team mate Oscar Piastri.

With Piastri beginning to stretch out a championship lead thanks to four wins in seven races, the Monte Carlo weekend was a crucial one for Norris, who has spoken openly in recent years about struggling to be at his best on and off the track.

At a circuit where drivers can make the difference, Norris delivered one of the finest Qualifying laps of his career – the only person inside the 1m 09s bracket – to grab a first pole since that Melbourne opener and hit back at a growing number of critics.

Then, in a gripping Grand Prix, he dealt with Virtual Safety Cars, phases of traffic and the two pit stop rule to convert that pole into victory, underlining his weekend dominance and slashing Piastri’s championship advantage.

With Piastri, Norris and Verstappen covered by just 25 points in the Drivers’ Championship standings, it’s very much game on heading to Spain…

How did the two-stop rule play out?

F1 and tyre suppliers Pirelli tried something new in Monaco, with the aforementioned two pit stop rule being introduced in a bid to add some excitement to a race that takes place on tight, twisty streets and thus offers few overtaking opportunities.

Under F1’s usual rules, the only tyre-related requirement during a dry-weather race is for drivers to use at least two different slick compounds, which can be achieved via a one-stop strategy, but Sunday’s race forced drivers to use at least three different sets of tyres.