In Monaco, Lando Norris achieved pole position for Sunday`s Grand Prix, setting a new track record on the circuit and narrowly defeating Ferrari`s Charles Leclerc in a tense qualifying session.
Norris, whose previous pole position this season was at the Australian Grand Prix, demonstrated strong pace throughout qualifying. His decisive final lap, clocked at 1:09.954, established a new track record. This performance secured his position by 0.109 seconds ahead of the local favorite Leclerc and was 0.177 seconds faster than his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who qualified in third place.
This pole position is a significant boost for the British driver, potentially marking a turning point in his season, especially after he narrowed the points gap to Piastri in the championship standings at the previous race in Imola.
Reflecting on the result, Norris stated, “It means a lot. Not just because it`s been a while since the last one, but considering how qualifying sessions have gone over the past couple of months.”
He added, “Monaco is a beautiful place, the hardest track to do it on, and up against the hometown hero [Leclerc]. I`m very proud of the whole team. We have worked exceptionally hard over the past few months. Very pleased.”
Leclerc commented on his performance, “There`s always room for improvement, but ultimately, this was the best we could achieve. We know our car isn`t quite capable of race wins this year, but the car felt good this weekend, and starting second here will make it challenging to claim first place.”
Historically, securing pole position has been crucial for victory on the challenging Monaco circuit. However, a new regulation this year mandates a two-stop strategy for every driver, departing from the traditional one-stop approach. This rule is expected to encourage drivers to push harder throughout the race, while those starting outside the top 10 points positions might opt for strategic gambles.
Lewis Hamilton initially qualified fourth in his Ferrari, but he was later issued a three-place grid penalty for impeding Max Verstappen at Massenet during Q1. Verstappen, who was 0.717 seconds slower than Norris, will now start from fifth position.
At his debut Monaco Grand Prix, Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar will start sixth, ahead of Aston Martin`s Fernando Alonso and the Haas of Esteban Ocon. Hadjar`s teammate, Liam Lawson, will line up ninth, with Alex Albon`s Williams in 10th.
Carlos Sainz, Albon`s teammate, narrowly missed out on a place in the top 10 by 0.1 seconds after reporting a lack of grip on his final set of tires in Q2. He will start 11th, just ahead of Yuki Tsunoda`s Red Bull, which managed only 12th on the grid. Nico Hülkenberg`s Sauber qualified 13th, slightly more than 0.1 seconds behind Tsunoda.
George Russell qualified 14th after a suspected electrical issue caused his Mercedes to stop in the tunnel before his first flying lap in Q2. Mercedes suspected the problem was triggered when Russell drove over a bump in Turn 1, but the team needed the car back in the pits for a full investigation.
The recovery of Russell`s Mercedes from the tunnel resulted in the session being temporarily halted with a red flag.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli will start one place behind his Mercedes teammate at his first Monaco Grand Prix following a crash at the Nouvelle Chicane on his final lap in Q1.
The 18-year-old was attempting to improve his lap time when he clipped the inside barrier entering the chicane, damaging his front left suspension and sliding straight into the barrier between the track and the harbor. Although unharmed, his car was damaged and stranded, preventing him from progressing to Q2.
Sauber`s Gabriel Bortoleto missed a spot in Q2 by just 0.102 seconds to Antonelli and will start in 16th. Oliver Bearman`s Haas qualified 17th fastest but was already facing a grid penalty. Due to a 10-place penalty for overtaking under red flags in Friday practice, Bearman will start from 20th and last place on the grid.
Pierre Gasly will begin the race in 17th place, ahead of his Alpine teammate Franco Colapinto, who was the slowest in Q1 but moved up two positions to 18th due to penalties elsewhere. Lance Stroll starts 19th after receiving two grid penalties: one place for impeding Leclerc in first practice and three places for impeding Gasly in qualifying.
Rupert Caldwell 
Tristan Blackwood