Norris: It’s been a long time coming

It marks McLaren’s best Monaco qualifying performance in over a decade. With Norris starting ahead of Piastri on the grid, boosting their hopes of a first win at the Principality since 2008, when Lewis Hamilton triumphed on his way to that year’s world championship.

Speaking to Sky F1 after the session, Brown said: “It was just to make sure we got clean laps and we knew we could do two laps. It turns out we needed them. That was a pretty awesome qualifying.
Lando was strong in Q2. He’s had a few issues in Q3 and I said to Andrea ‘let’s just repeat that’ and he goes ‘well I think he will have to go a bit quicker’ and he nailed it.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, Brown added: “It’s looking good from pole. We have two in the top three but with these two stops maybe we will see something a bit different.”

After taking his 11th career pole and his first in Monaco, Norris said: “It’s been a long time coming. I feel good. I don’t think you realise how good this feels after quite a few struggles in the last few months.
Monaco is a beautiful place. The hardest track to do it and up against the hometown hero. I’m very proud of the whole team. We have worked very hard over the past few months. Very pleased.”

On the team’s decision to run two flying laps at the end of Q3 on the same tyres, Norris said: “It’s what we believed was best before qualifying and what was proven to be best after. The team have done an amazing job, so thanks to everyone here and at the factory.

"These days don’t come easy, so I’m proud to give something back to them. It was a well put together lap and it feels good when you cross the line and it all pays off.”

On race expectations, Norris replied: “At the minute I don’t care! I’m going to enjoy today. I’ve worked hard for today. That’s what tonight is for, to prepare for tomorrow. I will live the moment for a little bit then focus on tomorrow.”

He later added: “I am very happy, especially to do it here in Monaco and do it ahead of Charles is that little bit sweeter. This weekend has been about making little bits of progress every session, every lap. Charles has been on top in every session, so it’s hard to just go ‘yeah we have to do it now’.

"But we have been confident we’ve been there or thereabouts. We knew we had a bit more in qualifying and I knew if I had a good lap and put things together, I could be on pole," concluded Norris

In the other McLaren, Oscar Piastri will start third after a small mistake cost him a shot at the front row:
“It was intense. Quite reminiscent of last year. My first lap felt good then my second lap I made a mistake at the Nouvelle Chicane and left a little bit on there.

"To beat Lando today was going to be tough. Well done to him. But, still pretty happy. It’s been a pretty messy weekend so far, so to come out with a lap I thought was good is a decent result.”

Piastri admitted the weekend had been far from smooth: “I think I’ve hit more walls this weekend than I have in my whole career! It’s been untidy. In qualifying I was much happier with things and felt pretty good. But we have been doing some digging this weekend. To come out with this result is a decent effort.”

Ahead of Sunday's Round 8 of the 2025 Formula 1 season, Piastri leads Norris by 13 points in the Drivers' standings, while McLaren are top of the Constructors' table by a whopping 132 points over Mercedes in P2.