Lando Norris continued his dominant form, securing his second consecutive pole position and third in the last four races at the Italian Grand Prix. The McLaren driver topped the qualifying session, securing a front-row lockout for his team with teammate Oscar Piastri taking second place. This performance puts McLaren in a prime position for Sunday’s race, aiming to capitalize on their strong qualifying performance.
George Russell will start third for Mercedes, followed by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz in fourth and fifth. However, reigning champion Max Verstappen, leading the championship standings, will face a challenging start after qualifying in seventh place, one position behind Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen currently holds a comfortable 70-point lead over Norris with nine races remaining, but the Briton will be eager to cut into that deficit on Sunday.
“Another pole which is amazing,” said Norris, who also secured pole position at the Dutch Grand Prix last weekend, ultimately going on to secure victory. His pole time of 1 minute 19.327 seconds at the Monza circuit was a significant 0.109 seconds faster than Piastri’s best effort. Russell was 0.113 seconds off the pace, while Leclerc finished 0.134 seconds behind Norris.
“To have two cars, first and second, when the field has been as tight as it has been this weekend, is surprising,” added Norris. “It hurts me to say it, but my lap was not a great lap. However, it was still good enough for pole, so I was surprised, but happy.”
Sunday’s race at the “Temple of Speed” near Milan is anticipated to be a close battle between the top four teams. McLaren currently sits only 30 points behind reigning constructors’ champions Red Bull, with the potential to significantly narrow the gap in this weekend’s race. Sergio Perez qualified eighth for Red Bull, while Alex Albon secured ninth for Williams and Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top 10 for Haas.
The Italian Grand Prix promises an exciting and closely fought race, with the potential for significant changes in the championship standings. McLaren’s strong qualifying performance sets the stage for a thrilling battle against Red Bull and Mercedes, while Verstappen will aim to overcome his starting position and maintain his lead in the driver’s championship.
