Lando Norris takes a 'dream' Monaco win to reduce Oscar Piastri's F1 standings lead

MONACO (AP) — Lando Norris realized a childhood dream as he won the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, and boosted his chances of achieving an even bigger goal, the Formula 1 title.

Norris took his first Grand Prix win since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix — though he did win a sprint race in Miami this month — and reduced his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri’s lead from 13 points to three.

Starting on pole position, Norris locked up a wheel into the first corner but still managed to hold off last year’s winner, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari.

“It feels amazing. It’s a long, grueling race, but good fun,” Norris said. “This is what I dream of. This is what I did dream of when I was a kid.”

Leclerc was second after closing in on Norris late in the race — though he wasn't able to attempt a pass — while Piastri was third and defending champion Max Verstappen fourth, with seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton a distant fifth.

Verstappen was the leader on track until the second-to-last lap but only because he had yet to make his mandatory second pit stop under a rule change introduced in an attempt to spice up the Monaco Grand Prix, where overtaking is almost impossible.

Verstappen was almost certain to end the race fourth, no matter when he stopped, so he eased off, slowing down Norris and allowing Leclerc and Piastri to catch up. Verstappen seemed to be trying to pressure Norris into a costly mistake, or maybe hoping for a red-flag stoppage which could have allowed him a free tire change while keeping the lead.

Norris said the end of the race was a “little bit nervous with Charles close behind and Max ahead, but we won in Monaco, so it doesn’t matter how you win, I guess."

Despite predictions it could allow some teams and drivers to spring a surprise, the rule had little overall impact on the results, except for a few cases of teams seemingly slowing down one car to benefit a teammate.

"We lost the race yesterday,” was Leclerc's verdict, referring to the importance of qualifying on pole in Monaco, his home race.

It was McLaren's record-extending 16th win in Monaco and its first since a victory for a young Lewis Hamilton in 2008. Hamilton went on to win his first championship that year.

McLaren leaves Monaco with six wins from the first eight races of 2025 as its two drivers battle for the title. Even with just a third of the season gone, a second successive constructors' title for McLaren looks all but assured, as the team's 319 points are more than double the total of any other team.

Piastri was on the podium for the second year running in Monaco, and being disappointed with third was a sign of the progress he’s made in those 12 months. Second place a year ago was only the third career podium finish for the Australian, who had yet to win a Grand Prix. Third place Sunday was Piastri’s seventh podium finish in a row.

“If this is a bad weekend," Piastri said, "then it's not going too badly at all."

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, left, celebrates on the podium with Zak Brown, McLaren chief, center, and McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia after winning the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain leads the field after the start during the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (Gabriel Bouys/Pool Photo via AP)

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco gets a pit service during the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain steers his car during the qualifying session ahead of the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

ADELBODEN, Switzerland (AP) — The big surprise of the World Cup slalom season scored his second win Sunday adding to his fast-rising reputation before the Winter Olympics.

Paco Rassat raced to the fastest time in the second run to rise from fourth place, and push two Norwegians down the podium steps after they had been fastest in the morning run.

United States-born Atle Lie McGrath was edged out by 0.18 seconds and first-run leader Henrik Kristoffersen dropped to third, trailing 0.20 behind Rassat.

The 27-year-old Frenchman had a career-best result of ninth in World Cup races before this Olympic season started.

Rassat now has two wins, a third place and two sixth places this season and shapes as a medal contender for the Milano Cortina Olympics. The men’s slalom is on Feb. 16 at Bormio.

“To win on this crazy hill at Adelboden, It’s something really unbelievable," Rassat told Swiss broadcaster RTS, describing his season as “a magnificent surprise.”

Rassat also took the lead in the seasonlong World Cup slalom standings, ahead of his France teammate Clément Noël, the defending Olympic champion. Noël tied for eighth Sunday.

McGrath was runner-up in the Adelboden slalom for the third time in four years.

“It’s kind of crazy,” said McGrath, whose father Felix skied for the U.S. at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. “I’m of course super happy, it’s such a challenging slope and mentally it’s one of the toughest places to perform because of this amazing crowd.”

Another packed finish-area crowd at Adelboden observed a minute’s silence before racing for the victims of the fatal fire in a bar in nearby Crans-Montana on New Year’s Day. Crans-Montana hosts men’s and women’s World Cup races in three weeks’ time.

The World Cup overall standings leader, four-time title holder Marco Odermatt, does not ski slalom and his huge lead was cut a little by Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who placed fourth. Pinheiro Braathen was second to Odermatt in the classic giant slalom Saturday.

The men’s World Cup circuit stays in central Switzerland for the storied Lauberhorn meeting at Wengen, for a super-G on Friday, the classic downhill Saturday and a slalom Sunday.

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing

Norway's Atle Lie McGrath reacts at the finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen reacts at the finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

France's Paco Rassat speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

France's Paco Rassat reacts at the finish line during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Finland's Eduard Hallberg speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Norway's Atle Lie McGrath speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Zenoni)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen ahead of an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)

Norway's Henrik Kristoffersen speeds down the course during an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom, in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti)