Lando Norris secures Monaco-Pole-DiePresse.com

Lando Norris got the pole position for the Grand Prix of Monaco. In qualifying on Saturday, the McLaren pilot was just faster than local hero Charles Leclerc (+0.109 seconds) in Ferrari and Oscar Piatri (+0.175) in the second McLaren and thus secured the favorite role for the Grand Prix on Sunday (3:00 p.m./ServusTV, Sky). Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen (+0.715) had to be satisfied with fifth place behind Lewis Hamilton (+0.428) in the Red Bull.

Norris caught last year’s winner Leclerc, who shortly before after his best times on Friday, also made the fastest round in the third free training session, in Q3 with a track record of 1: 09.954 min. Record world champion Hamilton, who crashed into the wall shortly before the end of the third free training session and destroyed the right side of his Ferraris, could also be satisfied.

Black day for silver arrows

Mercedes experienced horror qualifying. The first section ended with a crash by rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The 18-year-old Italian touched the wall in the harassment after the tunnel and drove his silver arrow into the guiding rails, which is why he will only get into the race from starting place. In Q2 George Russell lost the propulsion in the car and stopped in the tunnel – the Briton will start a place before his teammate.

Since overtaking maneuvers are hardly possible on the legendary city course in the principality, all drivers have to use three tire rates once in the race and thus at least twice for pit stop. The additional strategic component is to create more tension. Because in Monaco the starting position is particularly important, in the previous year the first ten pilots of qualifying finished in the same order.

Before the eighth of 24 season races, Piatri leads in the World Cup ranking with a 13-point lead over Norris. Verstappen is third with 22 points behind Piatri. (APA)