Lando Norris delivered a qualifying masterclass around the streets of Monte Carlo to take a sensational pole position for the 2025 F1 Monaco GP, setting a new lap record with a 1:09.954 and cementing his place at the front of Formula 1’s most iconic grid. The McLaren driver edged out local favourite Charles Leclerc by just 0.109s, snatching the top spot in the dying moments of Q3 with a lap that left even himself in awe.
Speaking in the press conference after Monaco GP qualifying, Norris was visibly emotional, reflecting on the importance of the performance after a tough run of Saturdays earlier this season, including at Imola last weekend.
“Means a lot,” he said. “Not just because it’s been a while since I’ve been here, but just because of how things have been, how things have gone over the last couple of months, in qualifying.”
“So, to come here with a fresh mindset and plenty more opportunities – and in Monaco, you know, it’s just a cooler, more special place to do it. A harder place, because it’s more difficult as a lap, more exciting, more pressure, but the most relief at the same time when you do a good job. And today was that day. So, it means a lot to me, to my whole team, because we’ve been working a lot for another moment like this.”
Beating Leclerc to pole at F1 Monaco GP
While Norris had shown flashes of pace throughout the weekend, Leclerc had topped every session heading into qualifying and looked like the man to beat. But the McLaren driver’s confidence steadily built throughout Q1 and Q2, allowing him to unlock the perfect lap when it mattered most.
“A reasonable amount,” Norris admitted, when asked how confident he had felt heading into qualifying. “I mean, never going to be full of it when you know Charles has been quickest in every session, but I think we were always there or thereabouts. I always knew that I could push a little bit more in a few places and gain some lap time, but I definitely think going into qualifying, I started to just unlock more and more, and I was gaining more confidence through quali. And that’s exactly what you want around here – improved confidence through the session.
Lando Norris mastered the streets of Monaco in qualifying ⏱️
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 24, 2025
Ride onboard with the @McLarenF1 driver as he storms to pole 💪#F1 #MonacoGP @pirellisport pic.twitter.com/gubG865s7B
“Especially in Q3, when I’ve just done two strong laps. Obviously, a good banker, which just gives you that reassurance that you can then go a little bit more the next time around. But it’s not just these two – it’s Charles, Oscar, Max has been fast, Lewis has been quick. So, yeah, it’s a good grid. It’s a good competition from everyone, so it always makes it a little bit better.”
McLaren strategy well played
McLaren opted for a split run strategy in Q3, sending Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri out on differing schedules to maximise their chances amid the ever-present threat of red flags. It paid off in emphatic fashion as the push-cool-push was enough for P1 and P3.
“I don’t really know, to be honest,” Norris admitted, when asked if the plan was to secure a clean lap early or give himself the option of a second attempt. “I mean, you always want laps. We knew that it was hard to get a lap time out on the first attempt. In pretty much every session, people were improving and improving. So, we knew it would change into qualifying, but I think we stuck to our plan, which was to do one lap, then box and do another two. It’s what we thought was right and clearly what was right. So, happy with what we chose to do.”
The F1 Monaco GP 2025 will feature a mandatory two-stop
With Sunday’s race requiring a mandatory two-stop strategy due to new sporting regulations introduced for 2025, pole position might carry slightly less weight than in previous years. But Norris wasn’t concerned about trying to quantify how much of the job had been done.
“I have no idea. Four?” he said with a laugh. “It’s impossible to put a number on it, especially here and more so probably in the past than going into a new-rule race tomorrow.
“I would have felt like a higher number if it was last year’s rules, but obviously this year, things have changed. Again, my only focus until this point has been qualifying. So, I’ve not thought about the race. I don’t need to until later with the team. For now, I’m enjoying the moment of the laps that I did.”
Norris showed that he is regaining his form
The pole for the Monaco GP capped off a welcome return to form for Norris, who has struggled to piece together clean qualifying sessions since the season opener in Australia. While McLaren have made improvements to the car, Norris also pointed to personal progress behind the wheel.
“There’s probably a small mix of both of these,” he said. “Things from the car, just it being Monaco and a very different layout, a very different kind of style of driving that’s needed here. It’s a lot more risk, commitment, rather than just absolute car balance, in a way. And also, things that I’ve been working on to improve, to do a better job.
“Again, never because I’ve not had the pace—just more that I’ve never put it together come Q3. Today was probably the first time since Australia that I’ve really put it all together. So it’s not like I’m driving quicker, it’s I’m driving in a better way, in a smarter way. But there’s been a lot of work that’s gone on.”
“So even if I was pole at any other track, I think it probably would have been the pole that’s meant the most to me. It probably means even more that it’s in Monaco, but more because of what’s happened over the last couple of months. May not seem like a lot, but for me, it’s quite a big thing. So, yep. Like I said, a very, very good moment.”
Speaking up about the mental toll
Norris also addressed the mental side of his recent struggles and insisted he had never doubted his ability – even during the toughest moments of the season, including a costly crash in Jeddah.
“No. I don’t think I’ve ever doubted what I can do,” he said. “Of course, I’ve got frustrated. I’ve been unhappy because that’s normal. If you don’t win, if you don’t get pole, you’re not going to be happy, especially when it’s where you should be. It’s what the objective is. So, of course, I’ve had those moments. But I’ve still never, certainly not this year, doubted what I’m capable of doing. And having a day like today certainly backs all of that up. So I’m happy with that.”
With Norris now on pole and McLaren showing consistent pace across both drivers, the Monaco GP promises to be a fierce battle among the frontrunners. And while the win is far from guaranteed, especially under new race rules, there’s no doubt Norris has already delivered one of the defining moments of the 2025 season.
