Charles Leclerc was denied Monaco Grand Prix pole by Lando Norris who smashed the track record in the process and found himself feeling grateful to his McLaren colleagues
What can you actually get done in 70 seconds? Well, if you’re Lando Norris, you can complete a record-breaking lap of the Monte Carlo street circuit, securing pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Home hero Charles Leclerc thought he had done it, having dominated all three practice sessions earlier in the weekend and then produced a mighty lap on his final run in qualifying. But Norris found even more pace to become the first man ever to complete a lap of this circuit in less than one minute and 10 seconds.
It was a remarkable effort for any driver, but especially for one who has struggled in qualifying of late. But the McLaren star put that patchy form aside to produce one of the best laps of his career – and the beaming smile on his face as he reacted to his achievement said it all.
“It’s been a long time coming, you know, so I feel good,” smiled Norris. “I don’t think you realize how good this feels, for quite a few struggles over the last few months.
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“Especially here in Monaco, it’s a beautiful place, the hardest track probably to do it and up against the hometown hero as well. I’m very proud of the whole team, we’ve been working a lot this week and actually over the last few months to get to a day like today, so I’m very pleased.”
McLaren approached the final part of qualifying with a different tactic to their rivals. They sent both drivers out for their final runs much earlier than everyone else, clearly wanting to avoid traffic and get laps in before a potential red flag late on.
READ MORE: Max Verstappen fumes at Lewis Hamilton after clash at Monaco GP – “F*** him!”READ MORE: Lando Norris smashes Monaco GP record to deny Charles Leclerc pole
No such stoppage was to come, but it paid off anyway. They had the time and fuel to complete two runs on that final set of tyres and that was when Norris found the improvement he needed to better Ferrari rival Leclerc’s time and grab pole.
And he rejected the notion that it was a risky move from his team. “No, no risk from our side,” he said. “It was what we believed was best before quali and it was what was proven to be best. We stuck to what we believed in.
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“The team has done an amazing job so thanks to everyone here and back at the factory, because these days don’t come easy, you know? Of course, I’m proud to give something back to them.”
Asked what he believes the race might hold for him, with the new rule mandating at least two pit stops for every car, Norris added: “I’ve absolutely no idea and, at the minute, I don’t care. I’m going to enjoy today, having worked hard for today. I’m happy with quali and I’m going to live in the moment for a little bit.”