24/05/2025 17:23
Lando Norris broke the Circuit de Monaco lap record to claim a huge
pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix. The Briton completed a
remarkable three hot laps in the final part of qualifying, to deny
Charles Leclerc yet another home pole. Norris set a staggering 1m
09.954, with Leclerc having to settle for second. Oscar Piastri,
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen completed the top five. It was a
disastrous qualifying for Mercedes, as Kimi Antonelli crashed in Q1
and will provisionally start from 15th, whilst George Russell
ground to a halt in Q2 and will start provisionally in 14th.
Hamilton faces a nervous wait following qualifying, with him to be
investigated for impeding Verstappen at Massenet in the opening
part of the session. Report continues below! Q3 - Norris breaks
home hearts Despite Leclerc having dominated all practice sessions
and Q1, it was Q2 pace setter Norris on provisional pole. Norris'
opening lap was a 1m 10.464, just 0.067s faster than Piastri. Home
boy Leclerc was third following his first hot lap in Q3 and had
almost two-tenths to find. It appeared to be a three-way pole
fight. The McLarens were the first to set their next Q3 laps, with
significant lap time having been found by both Norris and Piastri.
Both drivers found three-tenths, yet it remained Norris on top with
a 1m 10.125. Piastri was just 0.015s adrift, putting all eyes on
the Ferraris and Verstappen to attack Norris' lap time. Hamilton
improved, but was over two-tenths behind, whilst Verstappen failed
to improve. However, Leclerc found huge amounts of time on his
final lap, to snatch provisional pole. It seemed like it was going
to be delight for Monaco, but Norris' tyres still had enough life
for one more lap. It was a mesmerising lap by Norris, who found
yet more time to claim pole and set a lap record. Q2 - Double
Mercedes misery; Tsunoda out The second part of qualifying was
delayed following Antonelli's crash at the end of Q1, with him,
obviously, being unable to compete in Q2. When it finally got
underway, there was a variety in tyre choice between the C6 softs
and the C5 mediums, a much bigger split than in the beginning of
Q1. However, a second red flag was required in the opening minutes
after Russell came to a halt. The Briton hit the kerb at the first
corner which caused him to lose all power. Once it resumed, both
Ferraris had switched to the softs, although a mixture remained. By
the closing minutes, it was Isack Hadjar, Nico Hulkenberg and
Esteban Ocon at risk, with both Mercedes drivers being out.
Tsunoda was also in danger ahead of his final Q2 lap, having been
only 0.003s faster than Hadjar. The track suddenly ramped up in the
closing seconds, with Hadjar and Ocon having propelled themselves
into the top 10. Unfortunately, it saw Carlos Sainz eliminated in
11th but also Red Bull's Tsunoda, as was Hulkenberg. Norris topped
the second part of qualifying, ahead of Leclerc and Albon. Q1 -
Crucial Antonelli crash As qualifying got underway, everyone opted
for the softs from the get-go, with the exception of both Alpines
who went for the mediums before later switching to the softs.
Lance Stroll was placed under investigation for impeding Pierre
Gasly, who furiously complained of the Aston Martin driver's
"shocking" driving. Hamilton was also placed under investigation
for impeding Verstappen. Stroll found himself in 19th ahead of the
final hot laps in Q1, with Gabriel Bortoleto, Alonso, Oliver
Bearman and Franco Colapinto having joined him. Alonso was the only
driver to escape the drop zone following a late improvement;
however, a crucial crash for Antonelli at the Nouvelle chicane
red-flagged the session prior to the majority of final laps being
completed. Bortoleto had to settle for 16th, ahead of Bearman who
qualified in 17th but has a 10-place grid penalty, Pierre Gasly,
Stroll and Colapinto. Leclerc topped the first part of qualifying,
ahead of both McLarens.
