Lando Norris, in his quest for the world championship, secured an impressive pole position at the Italian Grand Prix, while his competitor Max Verstappen could only achieve seventh place. Just six days following his decisive victory in the Netherlands, Norris ascended to the top position at Monza’s ‘Temple of Speed’, with team member Oscar Piastri finishing second, resulting in a front row monopoly by McLaren.
A notably unsettled Verstappen deemed his performance in the Red Bull as “shocking”, finishing nearly seven-tenths behind. Meanwhile, George Russell of Mercedes qualified third, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari securing the fourth and fifth positions. The typically speedy Lewis Hamilton, despite having the fastest times in two out of the three practice sessions, placed sixth.
Currently, Norris is trailing Verstappen by 70 points, with nine games and 254 points yet to be contended for. While Norris referred to title visions as “stupid” after his victorious statement in Zandvoort, his recent success combined with Red Bull’s poor performance at a track they were expected to excel at, may increase his optimism about defeating his Dutch rival.
Another remarkable pole position, as Norris stated, was “amazing”. He admitted his surprise at having both McLaren cars in the first two positions given the weekend’s tight competition. Despite acknowledging his less than perfect lap, he was pleasantly surprised yet proud it was sufficient for the pole. Norris expects a tough race ahead, filled with uncertainties but also much anticipation.
Verstappen, who dominated five of the first seven rounds, appeared to be on track for his fourth consecutive world title. However, the 26-year old has not experienced victory for over two months, marking a five-round losing streak. He faces a considerable challenge to prevent Norris, in his McLaren powerhouse, from securing a consecutive win and reducing his lead in the championship.
Norris set an exceptional standard with his first attempt in Q3, further solidifying his position to secure consecutive poles and achieving five total. He held a 0.109sec lead over Piastri, with Russell using his last lap to boost his Mercedes to third place. Following a practice crash in the Netherlands the previous week, Williams made the bold choice to remove Logan Sargeant from the team. Franco Colapinto, an emerging 21-year-old Argentinian racer, was selected by the British team to replace Sargeant, but was knocked out during Q1. Colapinto will begin his debut from the 18th position on the grid. Meanwhile, Alex Albon delivered a solid performance in the other Williams vehicle, advancing to Q3 and securing the ninth spot.