BREAKING: Monaco Grand Prix Starting Grid Shuffled After Hamilton and Stroll hit with Pe…read more
Monaco Grand Prix Starting Grid Shuffled After Hamilton and Stroll hit with Penalties
The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix has seen a dramatic shake-up just hours before race day, as Lewis Hamilton and Lance Stroll have both been handed grid penalties for impeding other drivers during Saturday’s qualifying session.
Hamilton, who had initially secured fourth place on the grid, has been demoted three positions and will now start from seventh. Stroll, meanwhile, has been pushed to the very back of the grid following a similar infringement during Q1.
The incident involving Hamilton occurred in Q3 when Max Verstappen was forced to abort a fast lap after encountering the Ferrari driver on a cooldown lap. Hamilton remained partially on the racing line, reportedly due to a miscommunication from his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, who believed Verstappen was not on a flying lap. Both Hamilton and Verstappen acknowledged the misunderstanding post-session, with no bad blood between the two. However, the stewards concluded that the interference impacted Verstappen’s lap and handed Hamilton a three-place penalty.
As a result, Verstappen moves up to P4, with Isack Hadjar and Fernando Alonso benefiting from the reshuffle to start fifth and sixth, respectively.
Lance Stroll’s case was more straightforward, with the Aston Martin driver found guilty of blocking another competitor in a separate incident. His penalty drops him to the last position on the grid, compounding an already difficult weekend.
These adjustments significantly alter the starting order for Sunday’s race on Monaco’s famously narrow circuit, where overtaking is rare and track position is critical. Hamilton faces an uphill battle from seventh, while Verstappen’s upgraded starting spot enhances his chances at a podium finish — or potentially, the win.
