Lando Norris won his maiden Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday to close the gap on McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri in the battle for the 2025 drivers' world title.
Norris won a highly strategic Monaco race from pole position to cut Piastri's championship lead to three points.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished runner-up in the home race he won last year with Piastri third.
The race featured two mandatory pit stops for the first time but hopes of more action around the iconic circuit fell short, with Norris ultimately lapping all but four cars on his way to victory.
Four-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen took fourth with Lewis Hamilton in the other Ferrari rounding out the top five.
“Monaco, baby! It's a dream” Norris exclaimed over the team radio, after becoming the first McLaren driver to win on the streets of the principality since Hamilton in 2008.
“It feels amazing, it's a long gruelling race. An amazing weekend with pole, with today. This is what we dream of, this is what I did dream of as a kid,” added the 25-year-old.
Norris survived a scare at the first corner as he had a heavy lock-up into turn one but was able to keep his car on track and hold off local hero Leclerc.
Gabriel Bortoleto went nose-first into the barriers at Portier on lap one after Kimi Antonelli dove up his inside.
The Brazilian was able to continue but it sparked a virtual safety car, with four drivers at the back of the field coming in to pit.
Pierre Gasly was out of the race by lap nine as he went into the back of Yuki Tsunoda at the Nouvelle Chicane, losing his front-left wheel and claiming he had “no brakes”.
Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar, who started fifth, had made both his stops by lap 19 as the leaders made their move.
Norris pitted and rejoined fourth, before Piastri was told to box in an attempt to undercut Leclerc – a move which was hampered by a slow pit stop.
Leclerc rejoined second after his stop and Verstappen stayed out until lap 28, when he re-emerged in fourth as the first round of stops changed nothing in terms of position.
Verstappen complained the upshifts on his Red Bull felt “like the Monaco Grand Prix from 1972” .
Carlos Sainz was holding George Russell up in the midfield to create a gap for teammate Alex Albon to pit.
Norris lapped all but the seven cars behind him before a pedestrian race had reached halfway.
Albon took his turn to back up Russell before Sainz's first stop and, on lap 49, the Mercedes man charged straight on at the chicane to overtake. Mercedes told him to hand the place back but Russell replied: “I'll take the penalty, he's driving erratically.”
Russell was handed a drive-through penalty. “If I'm honest, I prefer not to speak,” he said.
Williams orchestrated a switch of their drivers after their game had played out, with Albon reclaiming ninth.
Out front, Norris, Leclerc and Piastri made their second stops and retained their order but Verstappen stayed out – seemingly banking on a safety car or red flag.
Last year's winner Leclerc put pressure on Norris in the final 10 laps but there was no way through as Verstappen made his second stop on the penultimate lap before coming home fourth.
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Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
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MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
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Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.