#F1 Tag Heuer #MonacoGP 2025 Preview.
Formula 1 Grand Prix De Monaco 2024 Race Start, Circuit de Monaco, Monte-Carlo, Monaco. Image credit to Mark Thompson/Getty Images. 2025 Monaco GP Preview, Monaco Grand Prix Preview, Formula 1 Monaco Preview, 2025 F1 Monaco Preview.
2025 Monaco GP Preview – After Max Verstappen scored victory in an eventful Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola, round eight of the 2025 FIA Formula 1 World Championship returns this weekend to the most famous and historic street circuit of them all the Circuit de Monaco for the Formula 1 Tag Heuer Grand Prix De Monaco 2025. This will be the 82nd time that the Monaco Grand Prix has been held and the 71st time since it has been held as part of the FIA Formula One World Championship. The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious motor sporting events in the world alongside the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Heures Du Mans which forms the Triple Crown of Motorsport. This is also the second Grand Prix of a triple header with the Emilia Romagna GP (already done) and Spanish GP.
2024 Monaco GP Preview – A Look at the Circuit De Monaco
The Circuit De Monaco is a street circuit laid out on the streets of Monte Carlo and La Condamine around the harbour of the principality of Monaco.
The idea for a Grand Prix around the streets of Monaco came from Antony Noghes, the president of the Monegasque car club and close friend of the ruling Grimaldi family. The inaugural race was held in 1929 and was won by Williams Grover-Williams in a Bugatti and the first Monaco Grand Prix as part of the FIA World Championship was held in 1950 won by Juan Manuel Fangio in the Alfa Romeo.
The circuit has many elevation shifts, tight corners, a tunnel and is very narrow. These features make it the most demanding track in Grand Prix racing. The circuit has relatively low average speeds.
Although the circuit has changed many times during its history, it is still considered the ultimate test of driving skills in Formula 1.
Due to the tight, twisty nature of the circuit it favours the skill of the drivers over power of the cars. However, there is very little overtaking as the track is so narrow and dangerous. It is the only Grand Prix on the F1 calendar that does not adhere to the FIA’s mandated 305km (190 mi) minimum race distance.
The circuit runs in a clockwise direction and is 3.337km (2.074 mi) in length with 19 corners.
Race distance is 260.286km (161.734 mi) with 78 laps.
Lewis Hamilton holds the fastest lap record from the 2021 event with a 1:12.909 set in his Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team F1 W12 E Performance racer.
The late great three-time World Champion Ayrton Senna holds the record for most victories at Monaco with six.
McLaren are the most successful constructor at the Circuit de Monaco winning the Monaco Grand Prix 15 times.
2025 Monaco GP Preview – Onboard Lap of the Circuit De Monaco
Here is the onboard pole position lap of the Circuit de Monaco from last year’s event, set by Charles Leclerc in his Scuderia Ferrari SF-24 racer. The Monegasque driver posted a blistering 1:10.270. You can watch the footage right here at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmJFVfU1RuI
2025 Monaco GP Preview – The Last Five Winners
2024: Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari. 2023: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing. 2022: Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing. 2021: Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing. 2020: Not held. 2019: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1.
2025 Monaco GP Preview – Tyres
Sole tyre-supplier Pirelli will be bringing with them to Monaco, the C4 white-marked Hards, the C5 yellow-branded Medium tyres and the C6 red-walled Soft rubber along with the green-marked Intermediate and blue-branded Full Wet tyres in case of rain.
All drivers will have eight sets of the softs, three sets of the mediums and two sets of the hards.
There will be two mandatory pit-stops at the Monaco Grand Prix in an attempt to spice up the action on the streets of Monte Carlo.
2025 Monaco GP Preview – DRS Zone
There will only be one DRS zone in Monaco, with the detection point located 80 metres after turn 16 and the activation point located 18 metres after the end of La Rascasse.
2025 Monaco GP Preview – Pitlane Speed Limits
Pitlane speeds will be 60km/h during practice, qualifying and the race.
ICYMI: Verstappen takes victory in eventful Imola GP
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen outfoxed both McLaren’s to take victory at the Imola GP on Oracle Red Bull Racing’s 400th Grand Prix.
This was Verstappen’s 65th-career victory and pushes the flying Dutchman to be 22 points off championship leader Oscar Piastri who came home in third behind McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.
When the 63 lap Imola GP began, Verstappen from second on the grid attacked Piastri into Tamburello corner, going late on the brakes and sweeping around the outside of the McLaren with a sensational move.
Behind the Red Bull, Piastri opted to stop early for what was meant to be a one-stopper, switching his C5 yellow-branded mediums for C4 white-marked harder compounds on the 14th tour.
A similar early pit stop for Mercedes’ third-placed starting George Russell also released Norris into clear air, with the latter 10 seconds behind Verstappen at this stage of proceedings.
Red Bull’s tyre wear continued to look promising than expected, with Verstappen shipping two to three tenths per tour, which was not enough pace for worry about for the race leading Dutchman.
But the Grand Prix had an initial plot twist on lap 29 when a Virtual Safety Car was deployed for the stopped Haas VF-25 of Esteban Ocon, who peeled off between Variante Alta and Rivazza.
The VSC made it very easy for driver who had not pitted yet, including race leader Verstappen Norris crucially stopped on the previous tour, and lost out.
When the race returned to green on the 31st lap, Verstappen’s lead out-front increased to 20 seconds as Atlassian Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon also benefitted to move up into third place and in-front of Piastri.
Norris was unable to gain back more than two seconds on race leader Verstappen, whilst Piastri rapidly moved up to third place, but was already dropping to over 12 seconds behind his McLaren team-mate.
The stability in the race did not last as home favourite Andrea Kimi Antonelli retired his Mercedes F1 W16 racer from eighth position, bringing out the safety car.
Verstappen stopped for another set of the hards, along with Norris, Piastri remained out, splitting the duo for a for the final 10-lap dash as the pack was released on the 54th lap.
On fresher rubber, Norris made short-work of team-mate Piastri but could not stop Verstappen from clinching his second victory of the campaign, whilst Piastri came home third.
On split strategies, both Ferrari’s produced a solid display at their initial home Grand Prix of the season following a disastrous 11th for Charles Leclerc and 12th for Sir Lewis Hamilton in qualifying.
Both made a great start, but Leclerc looked to lose out during the VSC, only then to be brought back into the race by remaining out under the late safety car deployment.
Leclerc was unable to hold fourth on his older compounds, first sending Williams’ Albon off the track into Tamburello, which saw Albon lose out to Hamilton as well.
Hamilton did overtake team-mate Leclerc, who was then told to let Albon by to avoid receiving any five-second timed penalty later on from the stewards. The Monegasque driver came sixth behind the Williams.
Russell was another driver to lose out in the strategy battle, although Mercedes’ high tyre wear did not help matters as the Briton started on the C5 mediums he used in qualifying.
Carlos Sainz took eighth to complete a double-points haul for the Grove based-outfit followed by RB’s Isack Hadjar who came home ninth. After a horrific crash in qualifying, the other Red Bull RB21 entry of Yuki Tsunoda produced an impressive driver and made his one-stop strategy work to perfection to jump up into tenth.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were the biggest losers of the Grand Prix as the pairing fell out of the points after a tyre gamble saw both drivers shine in yesterday’s qualifying session but saw the duo lacking a set of harder tyres for the safety-car interrupted race.
2025 Monaco GP Preview – The Situation
The sport continues its European triple header with the iconic Monaco Grand Prix – the most prestigious on the calendar.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen’s victory at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix fired up the title race as the Dutchman moved to just 22 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri.
Lando Norris also gained points on his McLaren team-mate to be just 13 points behind – Piastri who finished second to Charles Leclerc at last year’s event.
Leclerc triumphed on home tarmac for the first time 12 months ago, but the Scuderia will need to put in a solid performance to battle at the front, despite Sir Lewis Hamilton finishing fourth at Ferrari’s initial home Grand Prix of the season in Imola.
It was a disappointing race for Mercedes in Italy as George Russell endured a difficult race taking second and Andrea Kimi Antonelli retiring at his home Grand Prix.
A big change for the Monaco GP weekend is the mandatory two pit-stops on the race on Sunday in the hope of creating more excitement in what has traditionally been a predictable race.
It could throw something out of the ordinary as the pit-stop phases are set to be thrilling and fortune could play a key role.
Piastri returns to Monaco sitting on top of the World Driver’s Championship standings with 146 points and a 13-point advantage to McLaren team-mate Norris who is second on 133 points, whilst Verstappen is third and a further 22 points behind the Australian and on 124 points.
McLaren Formula 1 Team heads to Monte Carlo, on top of the World Constructors Championship standings with 279 points, with a 132-point lead over nearest rivals Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team who are second on 147 points, whilst Oracle Red Bull Racing are a further 148 points behind the Woking based-outfit in third place on 131 points.
The Formula 1 Tag Heuer Grand Prix De Monaco 2025 weekend begins Friday May 23 with Free Practice 1 and 2. The action continues Saturday May 24 with Free Practice 3 and Qualifying followed by the 78 lap Race on Sunday May 25.
