MONACO — Lando Norris set a observe file on the streets of Monte Carlo to beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to pole place for Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix.
Norris, who final secured pole place on the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, seemed fast all through the session earlier than his remaining lap tripped the timing beam at 1:09.954. The lap was 0.109 seconds sooner than Leclerc’s finest effort and 0.177 seconds away from teammate Oscar Piastri in third place.
Norris’ qualifying efficiency might characterize a turning level within the British driver’s season after he closed the hole to Piastri to 12 factors within the drivers’ championship on the final spherical in Imola.
“It means rather a lot,” Norris stated after a run of disappointing qualifying outcomes at current races. “Not simply because it has been some time for the reason that final one however as a result of how issues have gone over the past couple of months with qualifyings.
“Monaco is a ravishing place. The toughest observe to do it and up in opposition to the hometown hero [Leclerc]. I am very pleased with the entire group. We’ve got labored very arduous over the previous few months. More than happy,” he added.
Leclerc stated: “There’s at all times one thing extra to be performed, however on the finish of the day, this was one of the best we might do.
“We all know that we do not fairly have the automotive to go for wins this yr, however this weekend the automotive felt good, and beginning second right here, it is going to be difficult to take that first place.”
Traditionally, pole place has been the important thing to victory on the tight streets of Monaco, however this yr a brand new regulation will drive every driver to make use of a two-stop technique somewhat than the standard one-stop. The Monaco-specific rule will possible drive drivers to push tougher all through the race, whereas these exterior the points-paying positions within the high 10 will possible take technique gambles.
Lewis Hamilton secured fourth on the grid in his Ferrari, however was later given a three-place grid penalty for impeding Verstappenn at Massenet in Q1. Verstappen was 0.717 seconds off Norris and can begin fifth.
At his first Monaco Grand Prix, Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar will begin sixth forward of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and the Haas of Esteban Ocon. Hadjar’s teammate, Liam Lawson, will line up ninth, with the Williams of Alex Albon in tenth.
Albon’s teammate, Carlos Sainz, missed out on a spot within the high 10 by 0.1 seconds after saying he had “no grip” on his remaining set of tires in Q2. He’ll begin in eleventh, having edged the Pink Bull of Yuki Tsunoda, who might handle solely twelfth on the grid, simply over 0.1 seconds forward of Nico Hülkenberg’s Sauber in thirteenth.
George Russell certified 14th after a suspected electrical challenge resulted in his Mercedes grinding to a halt within the tunnel earlier than his first flying lap in Q2. Mercedes suspected the problem was brought on by Russell driving over a bump in Flip 1, however the group was ready for the automotive to return to the pits earlier than investigating the problem totally.
Recovering the Mercedes from the tunnel resulted within the session being suspended with a pink flag.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli will begin one place behind his Mercedes teammate at his first Monaco Grand Prix after crashing on the Nouvelle Chicane on his remaining lap in Q1.
The 18-year-old was seeking to enhance on his time when he clipped the within barrier on the entry to the chicane, broken his entrance left suspension and went straight on into the barrier between the racetrack and Monaco’s harbor. He was unhurt within the accident, however together with his automotive broken and stranded midway around the lap, he was unable to proceed into Q2.
Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto missed out on a spot in Q2 to Antonelli by 0.102 seconds and can begin in sixteenth place. The Haas of Oliver Bearman was seventeenth quickest, however it was at all times destined to begin in the direction of the again of the grid on account of a 10-place penalty for overtaking below pink flags in Friday follow. Bearman will due to this fact line up twentieth and final on the grid.
Pierre Gasly will begin seventeenth forward of Alpine teammate Franco Colapinto, who was slowest of all in Q1 however moved up two locations to 18th. Lance Stroll begins nineteenth after receiving two grid penalties, a one-place for impeding Leclerc in first follow, and a three-place for impeding Gasly in qualifying.
