Lando Norris clinched pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix, setting a new track record of 1 minute, 9.954 seconds, surpassing Lewis Hamilton’s previous record from 2019. This achievement marked a significant turnaround for Norris, who has faced challenges in qualifying and is trying to narrow the gap to his McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, who leads by 13 points. Norris expressed relief and excitement, noting his past frustrations, especially after crashing in Saudi Arabia.
In the qualifying session, Norris and local hero Charles Leclerc exchanged fast laps, with Norris ultimately outpacing Leclerc by 0.109 seconds. Piastri qualified in third. Leclerc, who won the Monaco GP last year, aimed for his fourth pole at home but fell short, indicating that the circuit’s unique layout benefited Ferrari despite its prior setup compromises.
Defending champion Max Verstappen, who had won the previous race, qualified fifth but was elevated to fourth due to a penalty assessed to Hamilton for impeding him. Hamilton’s session was marred by a communication error that resulted in a three-place grid penalty, relegating him from fourth to seventh. Mercedes faced further woes, with George Russell set to start 14th after suffering a mechanical failure. Meanwhile, rookie Kimi Antonelli hit the wall and qualified 15th.
A new rule requiring drivers to change tires at least twice adds uncertainty to the race, potentially altering the traditionally critical qualifying advantage in Monaco. As Piastri noted, the outcome is unpredictable given the recent changes.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
