Mumbai, May 25: Lando Norris beat the Monaco track record, his main Formula 1 rival and a local hero to take pole position on Saturday. Perhaps most importantly, Norris made a breakthrough in his own struggles with F1 qualifying, which have hampered his championship chances against McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. Norris and Monaco local Charles Leclerc swapped the fastest times before Norris upped the pace again to take first by .109 of a second. Piastri was third. Norris' time of 1 minute, 9.954 seconds replaced a record set by Lewis Hamilton in 2019. F1 2025: Lance Stroll Handed Grid Penalty for Collision With Charles Leclerc in Monaco Grand Prix Free Practice 1.

“It's been a long time coming. I don't think I've ever doubted what I can do. Of course, I've got frustrated, I've been unhappy, because that's normal. If you don't win, if you don't get pole, you're not going to be happy, especially when it's where you should be, it's what the objective is,” said Norris, who hadn't been on pole since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

It comes as Norris tries to cut into Piastri's 13-point standings lead and follows weeks of frustration in qualifying — sometimes from small mistakes, but also a dramatic crash in Saudi Arabia last month. Leclerc, who won the Monaco GP last year, was denied a fourth career pole at his home race.

Leclerc said Monaco's slow and twisty layout allowed Ferrari to dodge some of the “compromises” it's had to make with its setup at more varied tracks.

Defending champion Max Verstappen, the winner of the Emilia-Romagna GP last week, was fifth for Red Bull after predicting Monaco's low-speed nature wouldn't suit his car. F1 2025: Red Bull Driver Max Verstappen Wins Formula One’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix To End Oscar Piastri’s Winning Streak.

Rule Change Makes for Uncertain Race

Qualifying has typically been more important at Monaco than anywhere else on the F1 calendar. It's almost impossible to overtake on the narrow streets so grid position is vital. It could be a little different this time because drivers will be required to change tires at least twice during the race.

“I don't think anyone really knows what to expect," Piastri said.

That rule change follows a dull race last year when an early red flag allowed all drivers to make their mandatory pit stop. The race finished with the top 10 all in the same order that they started the race.

Hamilton Recovers and Mercedes Frustrated

Seven-time world champion Hamilton was fourth on Saturday after Ferrari rebuilt the entire rear end of his car following a crash in practice. It was a session to forget for Mercedes as its cars caused two red flags. George Russell is set to start 14th after his car broke down in the tunnel with a suspected electrical problem, causing a lengthy stoppage while it was pushed out of the way by a track marshal crew. F1 2025: George Russell Voices Concern Over ‘Baked-In’ Flaws in Mercedes Car After Imola GP Struggles.

His 18-year-old teammate Kimi Antonelli hit the wall and was 15th. Haas rookie Oliver Bearman qualified 17th but dropped to the back of the grid because of a 10-place penalty imposed on Friday for overtaking under red flags when practice was stopped.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)