The 2025 Formula 1 season continues this weekend as the grid heads to Monaco for the eighth race of the campaign after an exciting start to the Drivers’ Championship.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclercwon the 2024 edition of this race in his homeland, ahead of Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz, in what was an unlikely podium finish. He will hope to do the same once again in 2025 and claim his first victory of the season.
But he will face big competition, and we’ll look at the race as we provide you with our best free F1 betting picks to try and earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the track.
The current favorite to claim victory at the iconic track in Monaco is McLaren star Piastri, who has started the season in sensational form.
The Australian first race was a disappointing ninth-place finish in his homeland, but he has since won three Grand Prix races in China, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia while claiming a podium place in Japan from the opening five races of the campaign. He followed that up with success in Miami too, but last time out could only claim a third-place spot at Emilia Romagna.
This is a track that is notoriously difficult for overtaking, which means the cars that qualify best will have the best chance of success, and based off the campaign so far it’s McLaren who have the edge.
His two previous appearances in Monaco saw him finish in 13th place before claiming the runners-up spot in 2024, and so he is clearly improving.
At +190, the odds are pretty good value considering the performances so far this season, and are well worth a punt. He’s our pick to claim victory once more.
Norris started the season as the bookies favorite to be crowned world champion in 2025, but after a strong start he has drifted in recent months.
So far he has claimed victory in the opening race of the season in Australia, before securing three consecutive podium finishes, and then finishing fourth in Saudi Arabia. He then followed that up with two more runners-up finishes in Miami and Emilia Romagna most recently – leaving him in second place behind his teammate Piastri heading into this weekend.
Norris looks super confident this season, and he knows he has the car to match his lofty ambitions. The McLaren car is clearly the fastest on track this year, and his biggest hurdle to victory is his own teammate. He’s never won on this track but he did finish third back in 2021, before a fourth-place finish last season too.
At +225 odds, there is tremendous value on Norris being able to upstage his teammate and claim a victory for the first time on this track, but he’ll have to qualify and start the race well to do so, which has been a problem for him in the past.
While McLaren have largely dominated the F1 season so far in 2025, it’s no surprise that Max Verstappen is the man carrying the fight to them in the Red Bull car.
A three-time world champion chasing history, Verstappen claimed a third win of his season last time out at Emilia Romagna following success in Japan and Saudi Arabia previously, leaving himself just 22 points off the top of the Drivers’ Standings despite his complaints about the card this year.
He has had great success in Monaco in his career too. After retiring in each of his first two appearances, the Dutch driver finished 5th, 9th and 4th in his next three races at the iconic track. He then secured three consecutive podiums, including winning in 2021 and 2023.
Verstappen knows the track is aggressive with his overtakes and will take risks. He also knows better than most how to defend a lead here. If anyone can cause an upset to McLaren in Monaco then it will be Verstappen, and odds of +330 are almost too good to ignore considering he’s coming off a win too. If you’re looking for a better value bet than the favorite, the reigning champion is the man to back.
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.