ePrix de Monaco 2025: Overview and challenges
The Formula Electric Championship returns to the legendary Monaco circuit this weekend for the 6th and 7th races of the season.
Three weeks after the discovery of Homestead Speedway in Miami, Formula E is preparing to race for the first time in its history with two races in Monaco over the same weekend. Two opportunities, therefore, for the 22 drivers on the grid to claim a prestigious victory in the streets of the Principality, where the Pit Boost will make its return.
Six different winners in seven editions in Monaco
The 2025 edition of the Monaco ePrix will be the eighth in history. Since its first appearance on the FE calendar in season 1 in 2015, the Monégasque event has been absent only three times: in 2016, 2018, and 2020.
Sébastien Buemi holds the record for the number of victories in the Principality with two wins in 2015 and 2017 with e.dams-Renault. In 2019, it was Jean-Eric Vergne who crossed the finish line as the winner at the wheel of his DS Techeetah.
Still with DS Techeetah, Antonio Felix da Costa won the 2021 edition before Stoffel Vandoorne succeeded him in 2022, the year of his title with Mercedes.
In 2023, it was Nick Cassidy who prevailed with Envision Racing. The current Jaguar driver was joined on the podium by Mitch Evans and Jake Dennis. This race was notable for the comebacks of the two DS Penske drivers, Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne, who, after starting from the back of the grid, finished in 7th and 9th place. It shows that overtaking in Monaco is possible!
A legendary circuit known to all
At 3.337 kilometers long, the Monaco circuit, composed of 19 turns, is a monument of world motorsport. It will celebrate its centennial in 2029 and has hosted races from numerous categories on its track, including Formula E since 2015.
During the first three editions, the circuit used a shortened version of the original layout. At Sainte-Dévote, the drivers took a sharp right turn to descend towards the sea. The Port chicane was then transformed into a hairpin where the single-seaters rejoined the track we know today.
Since 2021, the circuit follows the entirety of the original layout. The start of the lap is marked by the climb towards Casino Square after the Sainte-Dévote corner, followed by the descent towards the Mirabeau corner. The drivers then continue to descend, passing through the tight Loews hairpin before the Portier double-right, leading them to the Tunnel.
The route continues along Port Hercule with the chicane, conducive to overtaking, then the famous corners of the Bureau de Tabac, the Pool, the Rascasse, and Anthony Noghes.
A tight hierarchy in the two championships
After five races this season, it’s difficult to establish a clear hierarchy of the strengths present. While it was expected that Oliver Rowland would confirm his two impressive victories in Mexico and Jeddah, the Nissan driver missed out on his weekend in Miami, leaving the field open for the two Porsche drivers.
Winner in Florida, Pascal Wehrlein is back in the championship, just like his teammate Antonio Felix da Costa, who finished third at the Homestead Speedway. Rowland thus finds himself within striking distance of his two opponents with less than twenty points ahead.
Also struggling in Miami, rookie Taylor Barnard intends to resume his progress after stepping onto the podium in three of the first four races of the season, and deliver a strong performance for his McLaren team before leaving the championship at the end of the season.
Finally, Jean-Eric Vergne, Maximilian Günther, and their DS Penske team will also be ones to watch in the streets of the Principality. Performing well but plagued by bad luck since the start of the season, the drivers of the Franco-American team are undoubtedly the best equipped to fight with Porsche and Nissan at the front.
The start of the two races of the Monaco ePrix will be Saturday, May 3rd at 3 PM and Sunday, May 4th at 3 PM, with the Pit Boost on the agenda for the first race of the weekend.
