Lando Norris claimed pole for the Monaco GP after a hard-fought qualifying session. Going into the qualifying session, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen were the clear favorites for pole. However, the McLaren came alive in the qualifying session, and Norris claimed pole for the race.
McLaren’s strategy was, in the end, what allowed Norris to claim pole. Everyone was looking to do a single lap on their last stint. But McLaren decided to go for a two-run final run, which helped Norris to work his magic and surpass Leclerc in the session.
The McLaren driver was closely followed by Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri in the 2nd and 3rd session. Lewis Hamilton is under investigation for impeding Verstappen and will provisionally claim the 4th position. The reigning World Champion will start in 5th ahead of Isac Hadjar in the Racing Bulls. Fernando Alonso continues the resurgence of Aston Martin in 7th, followed by the impressive Ocon in 8th. In 9th place, we have Liam Lawson, and a disappointed Alex Albon will start in the 10th spot.
Key Takeaways of the Monaco GP Qualifying
1. Lando Norris Claims Pole in Monaco
Lando Norris claimed an impressive pole position in the Monaco GP Qualifying. The Brit broke the track record, adding his name to the history books. This is his second pole position this season after the season opener in Australia. Norris, who has had an up-and-down season, will breathe a sigh of relief and hope this is the sign of good things to come for him in his quest for the championship.
2. Ferrari on the Rise
Ferrari has had a rough 2025 F1 season, and coming into this race, they ruled out their prospects in Monaco. However, when Charles Leclerc came out on track, he was blazing quick from practice to the qualifying session. He was outdone by a great strategy by McLaren and couldn’t clinch his 4th Monaco pole. However, the home hero will start 2nd, and after having the Monaco curse off his shoulder last year, he might somehow stick a victory in the race. Lewis Hamilton also had a great weekend and will provisionally start in 4th spot ahead of his arch-nemesis Verstappen.
3. Racing Bulls Energised in Monaco GP Qualifying
The Racing Bulls have quietly had their best qualifying session in 2025. Isac Hadjar has dominated in qualifying so far this season, but who’d expect him to start behind Max in the main team? The rookie is slowly looking at a top pick to pair with him in the Red Bull for next year. Liam Lawson also had a good qualifying session after rejoining the team. The Aussie will start in the 9th spot, and this might be the weekend he finds his form.
4. Double Disaster For Mercedes in Monaco
Mercedes has had one of their worst weekends in Monaco. The team didn’t have the pace throughout the weekend, and the Monaco GP Qualifying was a disaster for the team.
George Russell, who looked like their main man, unfortunately, lost power in his car in Q2. This brought a red flag in the session, and he’ll start 14th in the race ahead of his teammate. Kimi Antonelli hasn’t had the best start to the European leg of the F1 season. After a disappointing race in Imola, the young gun crashed out at the end of the session. It was a basic error that ensured that even though he qualified for Q2, he couldn’t participate in it.
This was the first time since Imola in 2022 that a single Mercedes didn’t qualify for the third part of qualifying.
5. Lance Stroll Strolling Around in Monaco
Lance Stroll has had a poor weekend from the start in Monaco. The Canadian driver, who already had a 1-place grid drop after impeding Leclerc in FP1, had a horrendous qualifying session. The Aston Martin driver finished the session in 19th. However, this is not all, as the driver will be investigated by the stewards after the session for impeding Gasly. All this adds up to a miserable weekend for the driver so far.
6. Colopinto’s Appointment Not Working for Alpine
Franco Colopinto replaced Jack Doohan in the Alpine to help improve their fortunes. However, the Argentine driver hasn’t had the best of starts to life at Alpine, starting with a poor Emilia Romagna GP. The Alpine didn’t look the fastest in Monaco, but finishing the session in 20th is not what you’d expect. This not only adds pressure on the driver but also questions the team’s decision to sack Doohan mid-season.
7. Tsunoda’s Poor Run For Red Bull Continues
Yuki Tsunoda had another horror weekend, as he couldn’t make it to Q3. To add salt to the wound, both the Racing Bulls made it out of Q2. This is a major disappointment for the Japanese, who were expected to do the bare minimum of getting to Q3.
8. Sainz Becoming the Second Driver at Williams
When Carlos Sainz was dropped by Ferrari, he was a sought-after driver in the market. After signing with Williams, everyone expected him to dominate his teammate. But as things look, he’s looking like the second driver for the team. The smooth operator will start 11th in the race, while his teammate ahead of him after poor strategy by the team.
9. Traffic Chaos Galore
Monaco is a tight circuit with little to no space for two cars to go side by side. So, traffic is a major problem during a qualifying session. This was the case with several drivers and impending incidents. Some were not investigated, while others are still under investigation. Which drivers will get penalized is up for debate with the stewards.
Provisional Starting Grid for the Monaco GP
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- Esteban Ocon (Haas)
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
- Alex Albon (Williams)
- Carlos Sainz (Williams)
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)
- Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- Franco Colopinto (Alpine)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
- Ollie Bearman (Haas)
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