Norris Secures Historic Monaco GP Pole; Mercedes Faces Qualifying Turmoil
Lando Norris clinched pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix, achieving a new track record of 1:09.954, and narrowly fending off local favorite Charles Leclerc by 0.109 seconds. Norris’s performance was particularly impressive, as he was previously behind Leclerc, who had led all practice sessions but faltered in the final round of Q3.
Norris, who hadn’t secured pole since the Australian GP, delivered a standout performance alongside McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who qualified third after struggling with pace at the Nouvelle Chicane.
Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth, but could face penalties for impeding Red Bull’s Max Verstappen during Q1. Verstappen ultimately took fifth, a disappointing result for Red Bull, trailing pole by seven tenths.
Rookie Isack Hadjar made headlines with a commendable sixth-place finish for Racing Bulls, despite two brushes with the wall during practice. Fernando Alonso secured seventh for Aston Martin, just 0.001 seconds behind Hadjar, while Esteban Ocon of Haas finished eighth. Williams’ Alex Albon and Liam Lawson rounded out the top ten, showcasing strong performances for their respective teams.
Qualifying saw drama for Mercedes, where George Russell faced a power failure and did not complete Q2, while Andreas Kimi Antonelli suffered terminal damage after a wall collision in Q1, leading to a late red flag.
Looking ahead to the 78-lap race on Sunday, teams will have to navigate a mandated strategy of using three different tire compounds, requiring at least two pit stops—a move designed to spice up race dynamics.
F1 Monaco GP – Qualifying Results
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- Esteban Ocon (Haas)
- Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri)
- Alex Albon (Williams)
The stage is set for what promises to be a thrilling race in the iconic streets of Monaco.
