Formula 1: Articles & News Reports.

[Fortitude]

FP1: Leclerc leads Verstappen and Norris in first Monaco GP practice after early collision with Stroll.
Home favourite Charles Leclerc set the pace during Friday’s opening practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix, bouncing back from an early clash with Lance Stroll to lead the way over Red Bull rival Max Verstappen and McLaren racer Lando Norris.
23 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site

With the sun shining down and yachts filling the harbour, the Principality looked resplendent as Formula 1’s 10 teams and 20 drivers gathered for an initial hour-long hit of running around some of the most famous streets in motorsport. Unsurprisingly, plenty of cars were quick to head out at 1330 local time to get a feel for the track conditions – a combination of Pirelli’s soft C6, medium C5 and hard C4 tyres being used across the early installation laps and short runs.

There was some drama only a couple of minutes in when Leclerc locked up and went deep at Mirabeau Haute, but he managed to avoid any damage, reverse his Ferrari out of the run-off area and continue on his way. Leclerc would not be so fortunate a few moments later, though, when he ran into the back of Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin – which had moved aside for another car before coming back onto the racing line – under braking for the hairpin.

‘Leclerc leads Verstappen and Norris’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...G8CEPTzPGrKVNI


F1 Monaco GP 2025 – Free Practice 1 Results
Hometown hero Charles Leclerc was quickest for Ferrari in the first practice session of the 2025 Monaco GP
23 May 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport

F1 Monaco GP 2025 FP1 results
Check out the full Monaco GP 2025 Free Practice 1 results from the first practice session in Monte Carlo below.
Pos Driver Team Time
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.964
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.163
3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.326
4 Alexander Albon Williams +0.350
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.378
6 George Russell Mercedes +0.518
7 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.570
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.705
9 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.726
10 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.763

‘Free Practice 1’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ice-1-results/


F1 Monaco GP: Charles Leclerc tops traffic-packed FP1 ahead of Max Verstappen
Leclerc tops Verstappen and Norris in traffic-packed first practice session at the F1 Monaco GP, which saw the Ferrari driver collide with Lance Stroll early on
May 23, 2025
Filip Cleeren
Motorsport.com

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has led the way in first free practice at Formula 1's Monaco Grand Prix - despite a late challenge from world champion Max Verstappen. Leclerc set a 1m11.964s around the halfway mark that held until the end as Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris filled the top three, with Williams and Mercedes also looking competitive.

‘Traffic-packed first practice session’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...ppen/10725554/


Leclerc/Stroll clash: Everything that happened in Monaco FP1
May 23, 2025
Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race

The two McLarens seemed quickest up to pace, initially running on the soft C6 tyre, but neither found all that much time once swapping to the C5s - this weekend's medium. Norris never improved at all, with one flying lap on C5s undone by a Ste Devote off and another through straight-lining the Nouvelle Chicane, but his first-set time proved good enough for third anyway - with only Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen going ahead.

Verstappen ended up 0.163s off the Ferrari driver, and the exact same margin ahead of Norris. Williams's impressive recent form continued with fourth for Alex Albon and seventh for Carlos Sainz. Slotting in between the two were Oscar Piastri (the only driver in the top 12 to set their fastest time on mediums rather than softs) and George Russell.

It was a busy first Monaco session as a Ferrari driver for Hamilton, who was right at the sharp end in the early going on mediums but was markedly less competitive in the C6 portion of his session. He at one point drew the ire of Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson by going slowly through the end of the lap (prompting Lawson's race engineer Ernesto Desideri to derisively describe it as "usual Hamilton stuff")…

‘Everything that happened’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/c...h-with-stroll/


Monaco GP: That Monaco curse? Leclerc crashes and goes quickest in FP1
23 May 2025
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Charles Leclerc’s Monaco curse struck early in FP1 at his home race as he rear-ended Lance Stroll in a mistake from the Aston Martin driver. But back on track after a red flag and quickest overall ahead of Max Verstappen, he’ll be hoping that was it for his Monaco curse. As they began their preparations for a weekend with a little difference, the FIA trialling a mandatory two-stopper, Charles Leclerc‘s home race weekend began with a trip down an escape road, Lewis Hamilton went quickest, and Max Verstappen found himself caught out by traffic.

Leclerc’s troubles continued as he made his way back to the pit lane with a broken front wing, the front left scrapping on the tarmac. His SF-25 had to be fitted with a new nose, and the floor was also damaged. Leclerc rear-ended Lance Stroll when the Aston Martin pulled over to let another car through only to return to the racing line, pulling in front of a charging Leclerc.

Aston Martin: “And Leclerc is there…”
*crash*
Stroll: “I just felt Leclerc crash into the back of me. I didn’t hear you.”

‘That Monaco curse?’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/monaco...025-fp1-report


2025 Monaco GP FP1: Leclerc takes to the run-off after locking up at Mirabeau
23 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Charles Leclerc was on his first out-lap in first practice when he locked up his brakes at Mirabeau corner and took to the run-off area, before reversing back out on track.

‘Locking up at Mirabeau’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...12425271109904


2025 Monaco GP FP1: Hamilton launches over the kerbs to avoid traffic in first practice
23 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Lewis Hamilton launched his Ferrari over the kerbs at the Swimming Pool as he tried to avoid the Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli ahead. After a heavy landing, he managed to keep the car out of the barriers.

‘Hamilton launches over the kerbs’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...16566379800851

[Fortitude]

F1 Monaco GP 2025 – Free Practice 2 Results.
Ferrari and Charles Leclerc were again the quickest in practice at the 2025 Monaco GP. Charles Leclerc is the man to beat in Monte Carlo as the hometown hero put his Ferrari top of the Monaco GP 2025 Free Practice 2 results, just ahead of Oscar Piastri in the McLaren, with Lewis Hamilton third fastest in the second practice session of the F1 weekend in the Principality.
23 May 2025
John Smith
Total Motorsport

The Ferrari driver, who also led the morning session, clocked a 1:11.355 around the streets of Monte Carlo, narrowly edging out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just 0.038s. The second practice session was marked by two red flag interruptions and a flurry of incidents, but Leclerc stayed composed to end the day on top.

Piastri recovered from a crash to secure second, while Lewis Hamilton showed promising pace in the second Ferrari to go third, just a tenth off his teammate. Surprisingly, both Racing Bulls finished in the top six despite further contact for Hadjar, who damaged his car again sliding out of Turn 1. Liam Lawson ended a strong run in fifth, with Hadjar sixth despite his troubled session.

Fernando Alonso placed seventh for Aston Martin, ahead of Alex Albon, Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who found himself frustrated by traffic and track limits throughout the session

‘Free Practice 2’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...ice-2-results/


Monaco GP: Free Practice 2 Results
Full results from Free Practice 2 for the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix from the streets of Monte Carlo where Charles Leclerc was the fastest for Ferrari.
24 May 2025
Speedcafe.com

Pos Num Driver Car Lap Diff Laps
1 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:11.355 32
2 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 1:11.393 0.038 28
3 44 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:11.460 0.105 30
4 4 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 1:11.677 0.322 32
5 30 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls Honda RBPT 1:11.823 0.468 32
6 6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls Honda RBPT 1:11.842 0.487 17
7 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 1:11.890 0.535 30
8 23 Alexander Albon Williams Mercedes 1:11.918 0.563 34
9 12 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:12.002 0.647 32
10 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 1:12.068 0.713 29

‘Free Practice 2 Results’;

https://speedcafe.com/f1-news-2025-m...ice-2-results/


Everything that happened in Monaco GP's Friday practice
23 May 2025
Pablo Elizalde
r Sport Magazine

Local hero and 2024 Monaco Grand Prix winner Leclerc topped both of Friday practice sessions for Ferrari. Charles Leclerc led Friday practice for the Monaco Grand Prix for Ferrari, barely outpacing Formula 1 championship leader Oscar Piastri.

Leclerc, the winner of the race last year, went quickest by 0.038s from his McLaren rival and a tenth from Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton, third fastest today. In an incident-filled hour of running that included two red flags, Leclerc emerged on top with a lap of 1m11.355sec.

‘Local hero’;

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/a...?nowprocket=1#


2025 Monaco GP FP2: Piastri rips off front wing after hitting the wall at Sainte Devote
23 May 2025
Formula One - Official Site (Video)

Championship leader Oscar Piastri was on a push lap when he went straight on at Sainte Devote and hit the barriers face-on. He ripped off his front wing but was able to recover to the pits, as Race Control threw the red flags.

‘Rips off front wing’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/video/20...26455777807985


Damon Hill tells the FIA ‘they have to do something’ after ‘dangerous’ Max Verstappen moment at Monaco Grand Prix
23 May 2025
David Comerford
F1 Oversteer

Damon Hill says the FIA must take action after Monaco Grand Prix close calls
FP2 could have been a lot worse with Verstappen. He was involved in a near-miss at the Swimming Pool chicane on a hot lap. The 65-time race-winner encountered the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto going slowly, as well as his teammate Yuki Tsunoda. There could easily have been a crash.

“Mate! Unbelievable!” Verstappen protested over the radio. “These guys! So dangerous! I know it’s only practice, but for me that is unacceptable, that kind of impeding. It’s so dangerous in the Swimming Pool.” This was one of a number of heart-in-mouth moments for the drivers as they navigated the notorious Monaco Grand Prix traffic. Lewis Hamilton also came close to collecting the Alpine of Pierre Gasly at Massenet.

Writing on X, 1996 world champion Damon Hill called for the FIA to take action. “They have to do something about quali and slow cars,” Hill wrote. “It’s too dangerous to have this disparity of speed.”

‘FIA must take action’;

https://www.f1oversteer.com/news/dam...co-grand-prix/


F1 - 2025 Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday Press Conference Transcript
22.05.25
FIA (Press Release)

Charles, this was a race that went so well for you last year. Just what chance a repeat in 2025? Charles LECLERC: I mean, if you want an honest answer, then low, because unfortunately our car hasn't been particularly strong in low-speed corners. And there’s only low-speed corners here in Monaco. So on paper, it doesn’t look like the most promising track for us. But Monaco is so unique and so different from anything we race on over the season that we can have a good surprise once we put the car down tomorrow – which I hope will happen. And if it does, then I hope to be there on Saturday because qualifying will remain the most important part of the weekend. But on paper, it’s going to be a tough one.

Just give us a little preview of this weekend and whether you think the Alpine will go well. Pierre GASLY: Well, I think as Charles touched on, Monaco is one of those tracks where it's difficult to predict or have a clear idea of where performance is going to be. It’s one of those tracks, as a driver, where you feel like you can have a bigger impact on performance. The car performances are potentially more level compared to traditional tracks. All of that brings good opportunities. On my side, I see a weekend full of opportunities. I’m quite optimistic about what we can do, and I know it can be a great chance for us to get some points. It’s one of my favourite tracks. It’s always worked out quite well around here for me, and I’m looking forward to another year.

Four times in seven races this year you’ve been Red Bull’s top driver behind Max Verstappen. Things are going well. Can you sum up the progress so far? Have you got to grips with a Formula 1 car quicker than you were expecting? Isack HAJDAR: Yeah. I mean, I had doubts at the start of the year. I didn’t have much testing, so I was a bit worried – like, can I handle this car? Is it going to be too fast? But now I don’t have any doubts anymore, and I’ve adapted to it quicker than I hoped for. So far, it’s been going better than I anticipated, which is – for me – I can’t dream of a better start.

General question first of all – Monaco, what makes this event different and special? Max VERSTAPPEN: I think it’s just how difficult the track is to master in qualifying, to get the most out of it. Also knowing that overtaking is difficult on a Sunday, qualifying is even more important. It’s incredibly narrow, challenging, bumpy. The history, of course, of Monaco in general – this is one of these races that you really want to win. It is very special to be racing here. It’s pretty insane, to be honest. But once you stand on the top step on the podium, it’s something where you’re like, “That was a great weekend.” You’re like, “done!”

Question to Alex. Can you describe the feeling of a qualification out there in Monaco? Alex ALBON: Honestly, similar to what Max is saying. I think with these cars and the weight of them around such a narrow track like Monaco, and also with these softer tyres – it sounds strange, but it's actually easy to overdrive. You have to wait for the track to come to you and be quite disciplined in your driving. You don’t want to feel out of control. You can get to a point where you take so much risk that you're just not comfortable and you can’t build on it. What Max is saying about a bit more of a steady approach – when it comes to Q3 and your final lap is when you start pushing the limits of comfortability and you're trading that with technique, lap time, and tire damage. It’s a bit of a mental game around here. It's not just about taking as much risk as you can because it's a street track. There's a skill to it.

We saw improved pace from Sauber last weekend. Do you think that will translate to Monaco this weekend? Gabriel BORTOLETO: I’m not so sure about that. I think Miami we were a bit better. In Q1 we went to Q2 with a bit more margin. Imola was not our best track. We went to Q2, but I don’t want to take any credit out. But at the end of the day, Yuki crashed and Berman got the lap deleted. It was not the best quali pace, but the race pace was a bit better. Unfortunately, we were not able to maximize the opportunities we got, so we didn’t manage to score any points. I think we are making progress, taking steps ahead. Let’s see – in Barcelona, we’re bringing a new package, so maybe that can be a very good thing for us.

‘Drivers Press Conference Transcript’;

https://www.fia.com/news/f1-2025-mon...nce-transcript