Breaking: 2025 Monaco Grand Prix Starting Grid After Penalties App…read more
Monaco Grand Prix Starting Grid Shuffled After Hamilton and Stroll Penalized
The 2025 Monaco Grand Prix has been hit with late drama as Lewis Hamilton and Lance Stroll received grid penalties just hours before the highly anticipated race, reshuffling the starting order on one of Formula 1’s most unforgiving circuits.
Hamilton, who had originally qualified in fourth position, will now start from seventh after receiving a three-place grid drop for impeding Max Verstappen during Q3. The incident occurred when Verstappen, on a hot lap, encountered Hamilton on a cooldown lap, with the seven-time world champion lingering partially on the racing line. A miscommunication with his race engineer, Riccardo Adami, was cited as the cause, as Adami reportedly believed Verstappen was not pushing on that lap.
Despite both Hamilton and Verstappen acknowledging the mishap and expressing mutual respect afterward, the stewards concluded that Hamilton’s presence did interfere with Verstappen’s flying lap, leading to the penalty.
Verstappen, originally set to start fifth, now moves up to fourth. Isack Hadjar and Fernando Alonso also benefit from the reshuffle, climbing to fifth and sixth respectively.
Meanwhile, Lance Stroll faces an even harsher consequence. The Aston Martin driver was found to have impeded another car during Q1 and has been penalized to the back of the grid. With Aston Martin already struggling for pace this weekend, the decision deals a further blow to Stroll’s prospects on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.
The revised grid adds a new layer of complexity to Sunday’s race in Monte Carlo. With track position key, Hamilton will need to fight hard from seventh to challenge the front-runners, while Verstappen finds himself in a stronger position to chase down a podium or perhaps even a win.
