Rand Norris said that a performance like qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix “has taken a long time” following his recent struggle in Formula 1.
McLaren driver Norris failed to match his teammate Oscar Piastri in a recent race, leaving him 13 points behind in the driver’s standings after a series of serious errors.
However, he made a great comeback on the streets of Monte Carlo on Saturday, surpassing not only Piastri but also the home’s favourite Charles Leclair Ferrari.
1M09.954, which he set at the end of the third quarter, secured the first pole position of the season since it was held in Australia in March, and secured him the first pole position of the season.
Given how difficult the past two months have been, I was asked to summarise his feelings after topping the qualifying round in Monaco.
“It feels good. I don’t think I think over the last few months, how good this has been feeling in a fair amount of struggles, especially here in Monaco.
“It’s a beautiful place, it’s probably the hardest track to do, and I’m also against my hometown heroes.
“I’m extremely proud of the whole team. We’ve actually done a lot this week over the last few months to make sure we’re spending the day like we do today.”
Putting clean wraps together around Monaco’s tight, twisted streets is a big challenge, especially with the current generation of F1 cars, which are much larger and heavier than previous spec machines.
Norris took a temporary pole early in the third quarter, but faced a serious threat from Leclerc when Monegascu drivers rapped the circuit with a 1M10.063S.
However, as part of McLaren’s two lap plans per lap, he scored another shot on the pole, defeating the 1M10S barrier in his final attempt.
“It’s the tricky part and it’s something other people are trying to do, so we’re consistently trying to find lap times,” he said.
“It’s getting better and better, and we managed to take similar risks, and when we get to Q3, the final lap, it’s who’s a little more risky and who can commit a little more.
“But it was a lovely rap. Put the rap together and it feels so good when you cross the line, and it still paid off. I’m very happy.”
Pole positions in Monaco usually guarantee race wins, and the Monte Carlo track is notoriously difficult to overtake.
However, F1 introduced a new two-pit stop rule in 2025, throwing an extra layer of uncertainty into the race.
Asked how he felt that the new rules could have an impact on the outcome of the race, Norris added:
“A moment that doesn’t bother me. I’m going to enjoy it today. I’ve been working so hard today.
“That’s what tonight is about. Tonight is to prepare for tomorrow. I’m very pleased with Quali. I’m going to live a little bit of the moment and focus on tomorrow.”
