Lando Norris banished his recent qualifying woes to brilliantly beat home favourite Charles Leclerc and McLaren championship-leading team-mate Oscar Piastri to a first Monaco Grand Prix pole position.
At the end of a typically frenetic and gripping qualifying hour around the narrow confines of F1’s most-famous track, Norris held provisional pole after the first runs of Q3 and then improved his time twice more as Leclerc briefly usurped him at the top of the timesheet.
Norris’ pole-winning time of 1:09.954 represented a lap record for the iconic Monaco circuit.
He finished 0.109 ahead of Leclerc, with Piastri a further 0.066 behind, to secure his first pole position since March’s season-opener in Australia, atoning for a series of costly errors in Q3 since.
“That’s a big moment for Lando Norris and this year’s World Championship,” declared Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle.
After crashing in final practice, Lewis Hamilton originally outqualified old title rival Max Verstappen to take fourth in the second Ferrari – but later received a three-place grid penalty, dropping him to seventh, for impeding the Red Bull driver in Q1.
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Confusion on the Ferrari team radio causes Lewis Hamilton to impede Max Verstappen during Q1 at the Monaco GP
Verstappen therefore now starts next to Piastri on the second row in fourth, although he had qualified 0.7s away from the pole-sitting McLaren in a disappointing showing from Red Bull.
But five-time Monaco victors Mercedes endured a disastrous session, qualifying 14th and 15th.
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Kimi Antonelli brought out the first red flag of qualifying after crashing into the barriers
Already struggling for pace all the way through practice, Mercedes’ qualifying started to unravel when Kimi Antonelli crashed at the harbourside chicane on his final lap of Q1.
George Russell then exited in the early stages of Q2 when his Mercedes stopped in the tunnel after it had suffered a suspected electrical problem as he went over the kerb at the first corner, Ste Devote.
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George Russell loses power during Q2 to leave both Mercedes cars out of Monaco qualifying
The only consolation for Mercedes, and the rest of those with work to do after qualifying, is that Sunday’s 78-lap race features a fresh twist in the shape of a mandatory two pit-stop rule for the very first time.
Isack Hadjar bounced back from hitting the wall twice on Friday to take a fine sixth as Racing Bulls – unlike the senior Red Bull team, who saw Yuki Tsunoda drop out in Q2 – got both their cars in the top 10. Hamilton’s penalty promoted Hadjar a place to fifth.
Liam Lawson took ninth in the sister car.
Fernando Alonso backed up his promising fifth place on the grid last week at Imola with what became sixth here, while Esteban Ocon was delighted to take a season-best eighth for Haas.
Much-improved Williams, though, suffered relative disappointment with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz only 10th and 11th respectively.
Norris answers critics in F1’s most-crucial qualifying
It had been a long 10 weeks for Norris since he had appeared to justify his pre-season status as favourite for the Drivers’ Championship by claiming a pole-victory double in 2025’s season-opener in Melbourne.
He then saw team-mate Piastri and reigning champion Verstappen share the subsequent six poles and race wins between them, with promising practice pace from Norris often to leading to errors when putting his MCL39 on the absolute limit in the final phase of qualifying.
But the Briton has now turned that trend around – and in the one qualifying session of the whole season that is traditionally regarded as being more important than the rest.
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Lando Norris takes pole in Monaco with a new track record, pipping hometown driver Charles Leclerc
Finishing second fastest to Leclerc – who had topped all three practice sessions – in Q1, Norris turned the tables on the Ferrari driver in Q2 before keeping his narrow advantage through the first runs of Q3.
Unlike Ferrari and Red Bull, McLaren then gambled on sending their cars out slightly earlier than normal for the final Q3 runs so their drivers could complete two more ‘push’ laps, with a cool-down one in between.
And while Leclerc briefly took pole away from him, Norris had enough life and pace left in his tyres to snatch it right back.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said the Briton. “I feel good. I don’t think you realise how good this feels after quite a few struggles in the last few months.
“Monaco is a beautiful place. The hardest track to do it and up against the hometown hero
“I’m very proud of the whole team. We have worked very hard over the past few months. Very pleased.”
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Leclerc was left furious after he was pipped to pole position by Norris
Leclerc, who had been chasing a fourth pole in five years for his home race, let out a cry of frustration over team radio when told he had missed out on first place.
“I think the lap was really good,” he said. “The first lap was a bit of a shame because that gives you a bit more confidence for the second run when you have a first good lap.
“I couldn’t have that – I had sector two traffic. But it’s the way it is. Just obviously very frustrated.
“We know that we don’t quite have the car to go for wins this year but this weekend the car felt good, and starting second here, it’s going to be tricky to take that first place.”
Sky Sports F1’s Monaco GP schedule
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Look back at some of the most dramatic moments to have taken place at the Monaco Grand Prix
Sunday May 25
6.55am: F3 Feature Race
8.35am: F2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Monaco GP build-up*
2pm: The MONACO GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Monaco GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook
5.30pm: The Indy 500
*also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Next up in F1’s European triple-header is the ‘Jewel in the Crown’, the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, with Sunday’s race live at 2pm on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
