Lando Norris is back on pole for the first time since the season opener in Australia. Norris beat the Monaco Grand Prix track record in a gripping end to qualifying.
McLaren sent their two drivers out early after refuelling in Q3. They knew there was an increased risk of a yellow or red flag at the end of the session, which would have scuppered their laps.
Norris and Oscar Piastri had time to complete two runs with a break in between. The British driver grabbed provisional pole but was briefly unseated by home hero Charles Leclerc.
However, Norris found more time on his last attempt and shaded Leclerc by just over a tenth of a second. He’d been struggling on a Saturday of late, with Piastri ahead at three of the last four races.
But the championship leader had to settle for third here in a session that could change the dynamics of the title race. Fellow contender Max Verstappen was only fifth-quickest.
Karun Chandhok can’t work out how Lando Norris kept his McLaren out the wall
Sky Sports pundit Karun Chandhok compared the laps of Norris and Leclerc after the session. He was most impressed by how the former had navigated the Nouvelle Chicane.
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli crashed at the same corner earlier in the session. It’s the kind of incident that’s become an unwanted tradition at the Monaco Grand Prix.
And Chandhok said Norris got unfathomably close to the inside wall that Antonelli clipped. But he perfected his angle, which allowed him to straighten up the MCL39 quicker for the exit.
“When we come down to the chicane, this is super impressive,” Chandhok said. “Remember Kimi Antonelli touching the barrier on the left?
“I just want to show you how close Lando Norris gets to it. It is unbelievable. Honestly, I don’t know how he’s not hit the barrier. It really looks like he’s about to drive into the wall, but somehow he doesn’t.”
Norris has now equalled Kimi Raikkonen for total pole positions as a McLaren driver with 11. This has to rank as one of the most special laps of his career.
Lando Norris silences F1 pundit who called him ‘scared’ before Monaco Grand Prix
Coming into this weekend’s race, Norris said he never thinks about the title. He’s only 13 points behind his teammate and now has an excellent chance to almost wipe out that gap.
Many critics have argued that the 25-year-old lacks resilience. And Jolyon Palmer says Norris has been making uncharacteristic mistakes on a Saturday, perhaps a sign that he’s feeling the pressure.
Ralf Schumacher went as far as to suggest Norris was driving ‘scared’ this season. But there was no sign of him tensing up on the calendar’s most punishing circuit.
Monaco is a circuit that rewards confidence, which makes this a particularly significant pole for last year’s runner-up. His career conversion rate currently stands at 50%, a figure he’ll look to improve here.
