Lando Norris delivered a superb performance at the Monaco Grand Prix just when he needed a little confidence boost for McLaren.
The Brit now trails teammate Oscar Piastri by just three points in the drivers’ championship, following a second victory of the season.
It wasn’t the most exciting Monaco Grand Prix, but Norris did exactly what he needed to on Saturday by delivering an almost faultless lap for pole position.
McLaren failed to achieve a one-two finish as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc got in between their drivers, but it was another excellent weekend for the Woking-based outfit nonetheless.
Norris earned pole with a ‘critical’ reason, mastering his Pirelli rubber better than any of his rivals were able to.
Even Sky Sports F1 pundit Karun Chandhok spotted Norris doing something ‘unbelievable’ and admired how he kept his car out of the wall.
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Marc Priestley says Lando Norris achieved something ‘many’ in the F1 paddock didn’t expect
Norris has one McLaren problem that they haven’t encountered before and is struggling to limit his mistakes in qualifying.
If ever there was a Formula 1 race to get over that hump, he timed it to perfection. Marc Priestley says that not many predicted he would manage to do so in Monaco of all places.
“Many of us would have said beforehand, when it came to that moment on Saturday, as we ramped up towards it,” he said.
“It was more likely that it was going to be Oscar Piastri who delivered the lap that Lando would have somehow failed, made a mistake, underperformed.
“Because that’s what he has done recently, but that moment when he delivered it on Saturday will have gone a long way to rebuilding his own little evidence and stack in his mind. Building his own confidence, which I hope will help him in the future as well.”
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Can Lando Norris wrestle back an advantage against Oscar Piastri at McLaren?
Ralf Schumacher called Norris ‘scared’ before his amazing performance around the streets of Monte Carlo, answering his critics in perfect fashion.
By beating his teammate at the next race, he is likely to guarantee leaving the triple header level with him at the top of the standings or better.
It’s a remarkable turnaround and proves that he clearly still has the speed to go all the way in this fight. He has put some pressure back on Piastri.
Max Verstappen definitely needs more wins to come out on top now, too, and will be hoping that the incoming front wing technical directive boosts his hopes at the Spanish Grand Prix this weekend.
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