Lando Norris has put his qualifying struggles behind him to secure pole position for the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix. The British driver set a new lap record around the tight and challenging streets of Monte Carlo, outperforming local favorite Charles Leclerc by a margin of 0.109 seconds.
This pole position marks Norris’s first since the Australian Grand Prix opener in Melbourne. His remarkable final lap came after a season punctuated by qualifying frustrations, making the achievement all the more significant.
Oscar Piastri, Norris’s McLaren teammate and current championship leader by 13 points, will start third on the grid, followed by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in fourth. Max Verstappen, fresh off his victory at Imola last weekend that brought him within 22 points of Piastri, qualified fifth.
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Leclerc, who delighted the Monaco crowd last year with his first home victory after years of near misses, dominated all three practice sessions and appeared set to claim his fourth pole in five years. However, Norris’s blistering last effort ultimately edged him out.
“It’s been a long time coming, and I feel great,” Norris said after qualifying. “You don’t realize how good this feels after a few months of qualifying struggles. This is probably the hardest place to get pole, so I’m very pleased.”
Monaco is famous for being the most critical qualifying session of the season, mainly due to the near-impossibility of overtaking on its narrow streets. To shake up race strategy, the FIA has implemented a mandatory two-pit-stop rule for this season.
Hamilton faced challenges in final practice when he lost control at Massenet, crashing into the barriers. Ferrari had to undertake extensive repairs, including replacing the nose, front wing, and gearbox. Despite these setbacks, Hamilton managed a swift lap to advance out of Q1 but came under investigation for allegedly impeding Verstappen. Tension was evident over team radio as Hamilton reacted to Ferrari’s communication about Verstappen’s pace.
Meanwhile, Mercedes endured a difficult qualifying session. George Russell, fourth in the drivers' standings, and rookie Kimi Antonelli qualified 14th and 15th, respectively. Antonelli experienced a dramatic Q1 exit, crashing into the barriers at the Nouvelle Chicane after a tire failure. Russell suffered a power loss early in Q2, his car stalling in the tunnel, triggering a red flag and ending his qualifying run prematurely.
The Monaco Grand Prix promises an intriguing Sunday showdown, with Norris back in top form and the tight street circuit ensuring every second counts.