Prixview - Monaco GP 2025
Saturday could see one of the most competitive qualifying sessions ever as F1 returns to Monte Carlo.
The Circuit
The Circuit de Monaco is a street circuit in the truest sense. The Monaco GP runs on the real, narrow city streets of one of the world’s wealthiest tax havens.
Monaco is one of the most challenging laps on the calendar. It’s shocking that a modern F1 car can fit through some sections of the track let alone push at the limit.
Monaco is also one of the best and richest spectacles in F1. Yachts besiege the coast a week in advance and teams build their own floating party barges.
It is nearly impossible to overtake at Monaco, so Qualifying on Saturday is usually the competitive highlight of the weekend. Watch as drivers nearly clip every wall (and sometimes crash on purpose) hoping for a pole position that is highly likely to yield victory.
The Lap
Monaco starts on its only DRS straight and turn one is a fast, uphill right hander. Drivers like to go side-by-side at Turn 1 and many of them end up off track or in the wall.
A downhill hairpin slows drivers all the way down before a fast second sector highlighted by the famous Monaco tunnel.
The final sector is a technically demanding dance through the marina. Unforced errors and wall touches are most common here with sharp turns and tight walls.
Top of Mind
Three drivers are still tight at the top vying for the drivers championship. Oscar Piastri leads, Lando Norris is close behind following a bounce back in Imola, and Max Verstappen is third with a car that is looking faster as the season goes on.
Q3 on Saturday will be an absolute pressure cooker with potentially 5-6 drivers with the pace to vie for pole.
The FIA is mandating that all drivers make at least two pit stops this year in an attempt to force some shake ups.
Odds and Predictions
Oscar Piastri is the outright favorite for the first time in his F1 career.
Lando and Max are projected 2/3 with the Ferraris and Mercedes alternating behind them.
This could be the week for a Williams or a Racing Bull to score big points — or even steal a podium — if they can conjure a bit of magic in qualifying.
Schedule
Qualifying is Saturday, May 25 at 10am ET
Race is Sunday, May 26 at 9 am ET