Event: Monaco F1 Grand Prix
Track: Monaco Circuit
Weather: dry 21.3°C
Tarmac: dry 39°C
Humidity: 59%
Wind: 4.6 km/h
Lando Norris qualified as quickest for the 11th time today. The McLaren driver scored pole position for tomorrow's 2025 Monaco Grand Prix for the first time. It was his second pole of the season for the Monegasque driver and the 169th pole for the British McLaren team.
Norris Stuns Monaco: McLaren Masterstroke Secures Pole in Thrilling Qualifying Showdown
The King of Quali Returns: Norris Grabs Monaco Pole
Lando Norris delivered a qualifying lap for the ages to take a sensational pole position for the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix, eclipsing hometown hero Charles Leclerc in a nail-biting finale around the legendary streets of Monte Carlo.
With a mighty 1:09.954 – the fastest lap ever recorded in Monaco – Norris became the first Brit to claim pole here since Lewis Hamilton’s stormer in 2015, putting McLaren right where it matters most on the tightest, trickiest circuit on the calendar.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Norris with a grin you could spot from La Rascasse to Portier. “This one means a lot.”
Q1: Chaos, Crashes & Tight Calls
Q1 set the tone for what would become a Monaco classic. The session was a flurry of traffic, yellows, and desperate dashes. Charles Leclerc topped the session in front of an ecstatic local crowd, just ahead of Norris and Piastri.
But rookie nerves were evident: Antonelli clipped the barrier and triggered a red flag just as others were on flying laps, denying several drivers a final shot. Among those eliminated were Gabriel Bortoleto, Ollie Bearman, Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll, and Franco Colapinto — the latter struggling after a challenging FP3.
There was more steward attention too, with impeding incidents involving Stroll and Hamilton under review. Monaco traffic: the gift that keeps on giving.
Q2: Mercedes Mayhem & Midfield Magic
The second session delivered drama of the highest order. First, George Russell's Mercedes lost power in the tunnel, bringing out a red flag with over ten minutes still to run. That followed a Q1-ending crash for his teammate Kimi Antonelli, who clouted the barrier at the Nouvelle Chicane.
With both Silver Arrows out, the door was open for the midfield — and they barged through it. Hadjar and Liam Lawson got both Racing Bulls into Q3, while Alpine's Esteban Ocon also scraped through on a clever medium-tyre run.
Not so lucky? Carlos Sainz was the shock casualty, finishing 11th and failing to deliver when it mattered most, followed by Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Russell, and Antonelli.
Q3: Papaya Party as McLaren’s Gamble Pays Off
While most teams waited for the track to peak in grip, McLaren rolled the dice early in Q3. Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri were the only drivers to go for two flying laps on their final tyre set — and it worked to perfection.
Piastri briefly topped the timesheets with a mighty middle sector, but a scrappy chicane cost him. Moments later, Norris crossed the line and snatched provisional pole by just 0.015s.
Leclerc looked to spoil the papaya parade with a blistering second attempt, even clocking a purple middle sector, but fell just short by a tenth. The Monegasque will start second, ahead of Piastri in third and Hamilton in fourth — assuming the stewards don’t hit him with a grid drop for an earlier impeding incident involving Verstappen.
Max Verstappen couldn’t join the final shootout, finishing fifth, just ahead of rookie sensation Isack Hadjar in sixth.
Final Word: Set for a Street-Fight Showdown
Monaco remains the crown jewel of qualifying, and Saturday delivered all the tension, unpredictability, and brilliance that makes it so iconic.
Lando Norris may have tamed the tightrope, but with Leclerc chasing glory at home and Piastri and Verstappen both hungry for more, Sunday’s race promises a tactical masterpiece.
And remember: in Monaco, track position is king — but fortune still favours the brave.
Quali Times 2025 Monaco F1 GP
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:11.285 | 1:10.570 | 1:09.954 | 27 |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:11.229 | 1:10.581 | 1:10.063 | 27 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:11.308 | 1:10.858 | 1:10.129 | 29 |
| 4 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:11.575 | 1:10.883 | 1:10.382 | 28 |
| 5 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:11.431 | 1:10.875 | 1:10.669 | 21 |
| 6 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1:11.811 | 1:11.040 | 1:10.923 | 27 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:11.674 | 1:11.182 | 1:10.924 | 30 |
| 8 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1:11.839 | 1:11.262 | 1:10.942 | 32 |
| 9 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:11.818 | 1:11.250 | 1:11.129 | 26 |
| 10 | 23 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:11.629 | 1:10.732 | 1:11.213 | 34 |
| 11 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:11.707 | 1:11.362 | 25 | |
| 12 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | 1:11.800 | 1:11.415 | 20 | |
| 13 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Sauber | 1:11.871 | 1:11.596 | 23 | |
| 14 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:11.507 | no time | 13 | |
| 15 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:11.880 | no time | 11 | |
| 16 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | 1:11.902 | 13 | ||
| 17 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:11.979 | 13 | ||
| 18 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:11.994 | 11 | ||
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:12.563 | 11 | ||
| 20 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:12.597 | 12 |
The quickest sector times during this second practice session were:
- Sector 1: 18.170 sec by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL39.
- Sector 2: 33.180 sec by Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari SF-25.
- Sector 3: 18.469 sec by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL39.
Last years pole time was a 1:10,270 min driven by Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari SF-24.
✅ Check out our 2025 Monaco F1 Grand Prix Preview.
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Another exciting Monaco qualifying & what a tight end.
Consequently, the race victory is Norris' to lose.
Stroll again impeding & this time he blamed the Sun.
A silly error by Antonelli & unfortunate issue for Russell.
I wouldn't be surprised if especially they were to do early pit stops, be that within the first five laps or even as early as from laps 1 & 2.
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