The second of a triple-header, the Monaco Grand Prix takes place this weekend after Max Verstappen closed the gap at the top of the Drivers’ Championship with a win at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Despite the win in Italy, Verstappen still trails the two McLaren’s in the latest F1 betting markets. Oscar Piastri remains the championship leader with a 13-point advantage over teammate Lando Norris. George Russell is the only driver other than the top three to have recorded more than 61 points across the first seven races of the season.
Piastri, Norris, and Verstappen have combined to win all seven races. Russell and Leclerc are the only other drivers to finish on the podium in a full-length race. There is still value to be found in the Monaco Grand Prix betting markets, however, with the punishing street circuit giving opportunities for surprising results.
Additional Pit Stops
In an effort to inject some drama into proceedings, the FIA has dictated every driver must make at least two stops during Sunday’s race. Very few in-race stops were made last year, with a red flag giving teams a chance to change tyres without relinquishing all-important track position.
The softest tyre compounds have once again been brought to the event by Pirelli. Minimal abrasion from the surface and limited high-stress corners throughout the lap enable drivers to navigate very long stints on the harder compounds.
The compulsory second stop should improve the event as a spectacle, even if it’s just by creating greater fanfare around the performance of the pit crews.
Qualifying Decisive
Even with these regulatory changes for this weekend, qualifying is still likely to be decisive. Overtakes are incredibly rare at Monaco. With the cars getting wider and how difficult it is to drive in dirty air, overtakes are even less common now than they were generations ago.
Despite McLaren clearly having the superior car, Verstappen has managed to take three poles across the first seven races of the season. The Dutchman is an excellent option at 7/2, particularly with Norris’ mixed record at Formula One’s most iconic circuit.
Steer Clear of Ferrari
Ferrari have struggled with their single-lap pace. Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc failed to reach Q3 at Imola before climbing into the points position during the race.
While there were some positive signs from the Scuderia last Sunday, both drivers have publicly talked down their chances at Monaco.
Hamilton said, “We’ve been struggling, particularly on a single lap. So I don’t know how that’s going to go.
“I’ve got some ideas that I’m going to try to apply next week that people have been a little bit reluctant to do, because we’ve had lots of other things to focus on.
“But I’m hoping next week we can find something to unlock some more performance. I really don’t know how this car’s going to be.”
Best Bet: Max Verstappen Race Winner, Lando Norris Podium & George Russell Top Six – 8/1
Verstappen’s qualifying pace gives him a real chance of making it back-to-back wins. Norris has only finished outside the top three once in seven races this year and has put in some excellent drives on street circuits, which should give him confidence despite his patchy track record at Monaco.
Imola was the first time all year that Russell placed outside the top six (he finished seventh).
Helmut Marko talked down Verstappen’s chances in the principality. While the slower corners might not favour the Red Bull, Verstappen’s form couldn’t be much better. His experience at Monaco should give him an edge over Piastri and Norris, too.
2025 Monaco Grand Prix Schedule
Friday
- Free Practice 1 – 12:30-13:30
- Free Practice 2 – 16:00-17:00
Saturday
- Free Practice 3 – 11:30-12:30
- Qualifying – 15:00
Sunday
- Race – 14:00
Monaco Grand Prix Race Winner Odds
- Oscar Piastri – 15/8
- Lando Norris – 9/4
- Max Verstappen – 3/1
- Charles Leclerc – 9/1
- George Russell – 16/1
- Lewis Hamilton – 20/1
- Kimi Antonelli – 25/1
- Alex Albon – 100/1
- Carlos Sainz – 100/1
Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying Odds
- Oscar Piastri – 7/4
- Lando Norris – 5/2
- Max Verstappen – 7/2
- Charles Leclerc – 6/1
- George Russell – 10/1
- Kimi Antonelli – 20/1
- Lewis Hamilton – 20/1
- Carlos Sainz – 66/1
- Alex Albon – 66/1
Previous Monaco Grand Prix Winners
- 2024 – Charles Leclerc
- 2023 – Max Verstappen
- 2022 – Sergio Perez
- 2021 – Max Verstappen
- 2019 – Lewis Hamilton
- 2018 – Daniel Ricciardo
- 2017 – Sebastian Vettel
- 2016 – Lewis Hamilton
- 2015 – Nico Rosberg
- 2014 – Nico Rosberg
- 2013 – Nico Rosberg
- 2012 – Mark Webber
- 2011 – Sebastian Vettel
- 2010 – Mark Webber
Most Successful Monaco Grand Prix Drivers
- Ayrton Senna – 6 wins
- Michael Schumacher – 5 wins
- Graham Hill – 5 wins
- Alain Prost – 4 wins
- Lewis Hamilton – 3 wins
- Nico Rosberg – 3 wins
- Jackie Stewart – 3 wins
- Stirling Moss – 3 wins
Drivers Championship Standings Ahead Of Monaco Grand Prix
- Oscar Piastri – 146
- Lando Norris – 133
- Max Verstappen – 124
- George Russell – 99
- Charles Leclerc – 61
- Lewis Hamilton – 53
- Kimi Antonelli – 48
- Alex Albon – 40
- Esteban Ocon – 14
- Lance Stroll – 14
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at time of writing*
