Monaco Grand Prix Pole Position Stolen from Leclerc by Norris
McLaren's Lando Norris clinched his inaugural pole position at the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, outpacing local hero Charles Leclerc of Ferrari in a thrilling final lap. The British racer, who calls Monaco home, completed his fastest lap in 1:09.954 minutes, edging Leclerc by a mere 0.109 seconds.
"I am incredibly proud of what we've accomplished here," Norris shared, relishing his success at this storied venue. His achievement marks the 11th pole position of his career, and his second this season following the Australian Grand Prix.
Norris stands in excellent position to secure his maiden victory in Monaco on Sunday at 15:00 CEST, airing on Sky. Making overtakes challenging on the narrow streets of the principality, starting from pole offers a significant advantage. However, a new rule will demand two pit stops for all drivers, enhancing strategic possibilities and race excitement.
Before the eighth round of the 24-race World Championship, McLaren's Oscar Piastri leads the championship with a 13-point margin over Norris. Piastri will start in third position, while reigning champion Max Verstappen, who will start fourth, trails Piastri by 22 points in the championship. Verstappen's starting position was aided by a grid penalty imposed on Lewis Hamilton, who was penalized for impeding Verstappen during qualifying. As a result, Hamilton will start seventh.
Leclerc topped the time sheets in all three practice sessions before qualifying, fueling hopes of a strong outing in his home race despite Ferrari's recent struggles, especially with slow corners. However, the issues did not seem to affect him on the shortest track of the season.
In the first qualifying segment, Leclerc was just ahead of Norris and Piastri by less than a tenth of a second, but an incident involving Italian driver Kimi Antonelli in his Mercedes led to a red flag. Later in the session, George Russell's car broke down in the tunnel due to electronic issues.
With a record-breaking 279 points, McLaren currently leads the Constructors' Championship, followed by Mercedes with 147 points and Red Bull with 131 points. Ferrari, which trails with 114 points, sits fourth in the standings, with Williams recording 51 points and Haas managing 20 points. The remaining teams trail behind.
The Monaco Grand Prix race results include a win for Lando Norris, second place for Charles Leclerc, followed by Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, and a fifth-place finish for Lewis Hamilton after starting seventh.
"Lando Norris's pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix highlights his exceptional performance in the world of sports," a commentator noted. Given his successful start, "If Norris can maintain his speed in the racing event on Sunday, he might clinch his first victory in the sports of Formula One," they suggested.
