Qualifying Report - Norris dethrones Leclerc for Monaco pole

Lando Norris
© McLaren

Lando Norris shattered the hopes of hometown hero Charles Leclerc by claiming pole position for the 2025 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, setting a new lap record in the process and throwing the championship battle wide open.

In what is often dubbed the most important qualifying session of the season due to Monaco’s overtaking challenges, Norris produced a spectacular final lap in Q3 to clock 1m09.954s, narrowly edging out Leclerc by 0.109s. The McLaren driver had trailed Leclerc through every practice session, but his third flying lap on a used set of soft tyres delivered a sensational pole — his first since Melbourne.

Leclerc, who won his home race last year, had looked poised to continue his dominance of the weekend after leading the opening Q3 runs. But Norris found time in the final sector to steal the top spot in the dying moments, breaking the hearts of the Ferrari-clad locals lining the Monte Carlo harbour.

Oscar Piastri ensured a strong session for McLaren by securing third, though the Australian rued a mistake in the Nouvelle Chicane that cost him a shot at the front row. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was fourth, albeit over four-tenths off pole, but faces a potential grid drop for impeding Max Verstappen in Q1 — an incident currently under investigation.

Verstappen’s qualifying effort left much to be desired, as he struggled with a nervous Red Bull around the tight street circuit. He could only manage fifth, nearly seven-tenths slower than Norris — a rare sight in recent seasons.

The standout performance of the day came from Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar, who will line up in sixth place. The Frenchman brushed the walls multiple times in practice but kept it clean in qualifying to finish just ahead of Fernando Alonso, who was a mere 0.001s slower.

Esteban Ocon delivered another surprise for Haas in eighth, ahead of Liam Lawson in the second Racing Bulls car and Alex Albon, who rounded out the top ten for Williams.

It was a disastrous day for Mercedes. Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashed out at the end of Q1 after scraping the barrier at the Nouvelle Chicane. Things went from bad to worse in Q2 when George Russell suffered a power failure in the tunnel and stopped on track, prompting a red flag. Both drivers failed to make the top ten and will start from 14th and 15th, respectively — a significant blow on a track where grid position is king.

Behind the frontrunners, Carlos Sainz missed Q3 by just 0.030s, while Yuki Tsunoda, Nico Hulkenberg, and both Mercedes were eliminated in Q2. Out in Q1 were Gabriel Bortoleto, Pierre Gasly, Franco Colapinto, Lance Stroll, and Oliver Bearman, who will start last due to a grid penalty.

With Sunday’s 78-lap race to feature a rare three-compound tyre mandate, strategy may yet play a decisive role in a race that historically rewards track position over raw pace.