Live: Mayhem on Monaco streets after two massive pile-ups

There is a new rule this year that every driver must make two pit stops during the Monaco Grand Prix.

For pole sitter Lando Norris, he believes the introduction of that new rule, which was brought in to bring more excitement to a race that had become stale, will make for an entertaining race tonight.

“I think with the new rules it probably means you have to push a little bit more than in previous years,” he says.

“I think it will be a good race for the people watching, I think there will be more chaos.”

Norris was excellent last night in qualifying, taking his first pole position since the season-opener in Melbourne.

On the drivers’ parade, the British driver could not hold back his smile.

“Everything is special here in Monaco,” he says.

“It’s a nice feeling. It’s the first one [at Monaco] in my career.

“Yesterday was a very good day, but it’s part one, and today is part two.”

Charles Leclerc is a born and bred Monaco native.

He made history last year by winning the Monaco Grand Prix, becoming the first local since Louis Chiron in 1931 to win the famous race.

Leclerc has also been on pole three times at Monaco, and he looked set to make it four.

But Lando Norris pipped him at the end, and the Monégasques could not hide his disappointment.

Drivers’ championship leader Oscar Piastri has not had a smooth weekend thus far in Monaco.

The Australian lost his front wing during practice when he crashed into Sainte-Devote (turn 1), and qualifying was not his smoothest session this year.

“I think I’ve hit more walls this weekend than I have in my whole career, so it’s been untidy,” Piastri said on Saturday.

“Just been struggling to get into the groove a bit. I think in qualifying, I was much happier with things, and I felt pretty good. We’ve been doing some digging this weekend, and to come out with this result is a decent effort.”

Despite the “untidy” weekend so far, Piastri was still third fastest and is well in contention tonight.

G’day Mark.

Firstly, thank you for joining me on the ABC Sport Formula 1 live blog.

Secondly, you are absolutely correct. Not only did the F2 feature race have a big pile-up today, but the Porsche Supercup didn’t do much better themselves.

Australian F1 driver Jack Doohan had to make a plea for the online abuse of his family to stop, following the circulation of a post from an account falsely portraying his father.

A parody social media account named formulafakers posted a doctored image that appeared to show Doohan’s father, Mick, making light of a crash by Argentine Franco Colapinto at last week’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

That fake image caused a massive stir, and it got nasty very quickly.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth fastest for tonight’s grand prix, however, a penalty handed down after the session means he will start seventh.

Hamilton was handed the three-place grid penalty for impeding Max Verstappen while the reigning world champion was on a hot lap.

Video released by F1 shows Hamilton was unimpressed with his Ferrari team for not giving him a fair warning that Verstappen was on a hot lap.

Saturday’s qualifying was an epic tussle, where it felt as many as five drivers could take pole.

Max Verstappen was quick at times, as were the Ferrari’s of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

Then McLaren picked up the pace.

Australian Oscar Piastri threatened to secure pole, but a scruffy middle sector on his flying lap left him third fastest, narrowly.

His teammate Lando Norris stood tall when it mattered most. The Brit took his first pole since Melbourne, beating Leclerc by 0.109 seconds.

There has already been chaos on the streets of Monte Carlo as we count down to the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.

In Formula 2 earlier this evening, the feature race of the weekend descended into mayhem at the very start.

As the fleet dived to Sainte-Devote (turn 1) there was a huge pile-up which led to several cars retiring.

American Jak Crawford survived the lap 1 mayhem and went on to win the race, after the lengthy delay.

Is this a sign of things to come in F1?

Good evening, Australia.

Welcome to ABC Sport’s live blog of the 2025 F1 Monaco Grand Prix.

The most famous race on the F1 calendar is here, and an Australian leads the drivers’ championship.

Oscar Piastri leads teammate Lando Norris by 13 points, but the Brit is on pole for tonight’s race.

Keep up to date with F1’s most famous race with the live blog, and join the conversation in the comment section.