Monaco GP 2025: Weather Forecast, Regulation Changes, F1 Track Details, & Prediction

Arguably the most prestigious event on the Formula One (F1) calendar, the Monaco Grand Prix, will see the world’s 20 best drivers battle it out this weekend.

From Monaco GP session times and weather forecast to regulation changes and track history, SportsCasting brings you everything you need to know before lights out this weekend. Do stick around until the end of the article to get our prediction.

Monaco GP Session Times Around the World

The Monaco GP will follow the traditional F1 weekend format and will have three Free Practice sessions — two on Friday (May 23) and one on Saturday (May 24) — followed by Qualifying on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday (May 25). All three Free Practice sessions, as well as the Qualifying, last for one hour.

Here are the session start times for the Monaco GP around the world:

Session	CEST (Local)	BST	PST	ET	JST	CST (China)	IST
Practice 1 (May 23)	13:30	12:30	04:30	07:30	20:30	19:30	17:00
Practice 2 (May 23)	17:00	16:00	08:00	11:00	00:00 (Saturday)	23:00	20:30
Practice 3 (May 24)	12:30	11:30	03:30	06:30	19:30	18:30	17:00
Qualifying (May 24)	16:00	15:00	07:00	10:00	23:00	22:00	19:30
Grand Prix (May 25)	15:00	14:00	06:00	09:00	22:00	21:00	18:30

 

Will It Rain at the Monaco GP?

Monaco has always been a daunting venue for F1 drivers. Now, with the current-generation cars sitting at the widest and longest ends of the spectrum, driving around the track has become even more challenging. Add rain to the mix, and it is a recipe for carnage.

Thankfully, drivers are likely to get a dry race on Sunday. However, Free Practice and Qualifying could see some spells of rain.

Weather Forecast for Friday (May 23)

Friday should be fairly sunny with temperatures hovering around 22°C for both Free Practice sessions. Wind speeds are expected to stay between 5 and 10 mph, blowing from South/South-West, with humidity at 57%.

The chance of rain for the day will be around 16%.

21 cars started, just three finished!

Reliving the chaos that was the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix 😱#F1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/YLR1A9GxkS

— Formula 1 (@F1) May 20, 2025

Weather Forecast for Saturday (May 24)

The temperatures are likely to be the same as Friday, but the chance of rain shoots up to 24%. Humidity will also increase to 64% while wind direction will switch to South-South-East. Wind speeds will stay the same.

Expect a fruity qualifier with strategy playing a key part.

Weather Forecast for Sunday (May 25)

The Grand Prix on Sunday should be a dry event, with the chance of rain dropping to just 2%. The temperature is expected to stay at 22°C with marginally less humidity (62%).

Also Read: McLaren Star Lando Norris Discusses Intra-Team Rivalry With Oscar Piastri

What are the Changes Coming to the 2025 Monaco GP?

Over the years, the Monaco Grand Prix has turned into a rather predictable affair. Since the street circuit only has a handful of overtaking opportunities, the pole-sitter generally takes the win without much contest. Last season, Charles Leclerc won the most predictable Monaco GPs in history, with the top 10 cars finishing in their starting order. There were no successful overtakes in the top half of the grid.

To avoid another predictable affair, the FIA has turned Monaco into a mandatory two-stopper. This means that drivers will have to make at least two pit stops during the race.

2024 #MonacoGP … you will always be a special one 🥲 🇲🇨#FIA #F1 pic.twitter.com/TabekZdJ8w

— FIA (@fia) May 20, 2025

Here is the regulation change in full detail (via Pirelli):

“For the Monaco race, each driver must use at least three different types of tyre (either dry or wet). If a driver does not use intermediate or wet tyres in the race, they must use at least two different slick tyre compounds, of which one must be from the mandatory dry compounds (Hard or Medium).”

Failing to adhere to the new regulations will result in stiff sporting penalties.

“Unless the race is suspended and cannot be restarted, failure to comply with these requirements will result in the disqualification of the relevant driver from the race results. In this case, thirty seconds will be added to the elapsed time of any driver who did not, when required to do so, use at least two specifications of dry-weather tyres during the race, or who did not use at least three sets of tyres of any specification during the race. Furthermore, an additional thirty seconds will be added to the elapsed time of any driver who used only one set of tyres of any specification during the race, ” the statement added.

Also Read: Formula One Driver Swearing Ban Penalties Reduced After Widespread Backlash

Monaco Track Details & History

Monaco made its Formula One World Championship debut in the inaugural 1950 season. It has not missed a season since 1955 — except for the COVID-hit 2020 — becoming one of the longest-serving F1 events.

Monaco is a super-tight street circuit, demanding unmatched precision and bravado from drivers. There is only one DRS zone around the 3.337 km circuit, spanning between Turns 19 and 1.

There are a total of 78 laps, taking the race distance ot 260.286 km. Lewis Hamilton holds the lap record around the Principality, completing a run around the bendy circuit in 1:12.909 (2021).

Category	Details
Circuit Length	3.337 km (2.074 miles)
Number of Laps	78
Total Race Distance	260.286 km (161.734 miles)
Lap Record	1:12.909 – Lewis Hamilton (2021)
First Grand Prix	1950
Most Wins (Driver)	Ayrton Senna, 6 wins
Most Wins (Constructor)	McLaren, 15 wins
DRS Zones	One (Start/Finish Straight)
Pit Lane Speed Limit	60 km/h (due to tight layout)
Tyre Compounds (Pirelli)	C4 (Hard), C5 (Medium), C6 (Soft)

Who Will Win the 2025 Monaco GP?

Max Verstappen drove a spotless race at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix last week to snatch the win ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Considering the form he is in right now, and Red Bull’s solid track record of sound strategy calls, we are backing the reigning world champion, Verstappen, to claim another victory and take another swipe at Piastri’s lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.

Monaco GP Winner: Max Verstappen