Lando Norris delivered a strong performance in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, sending a clear message to teammate Oscar Piastri ahead of tomorrow’s race. After facing criticism earlier in the weekend, Norris made a decisive move, finishing ahead of Piastri in the final classification. His performance was particularly impressive given the challenges he encountered in the first two sessions, where he risked missing the top 10 altogether.
With a lap time of 1:18.869, just 0.77 seconds behind Max Verstappen, Lando Norris secured second place on the grid. Tomorrow, he will start from P2, fully aware that his car gives him an excellent opportunity to close the gap to Oscar Piastri in the championship standings.
Norris shines in Q3
Where it mattered most, in Q3—a session where Norris has sometimes struggled—he delivered a standout performance by placing himself ahead of his teammate. “Max has been fast throughout the weekend, so it’s no surprise,” he told F1 media. “It was a very good session overall, with its ups and downs, but in the end I put everything together and achieved a fantastic starting position.”
“I always focus on my own result, I don’t think about where Oscar is or will be. P2 is good, but I want to be ahead of everyone, including him. It’s a strong starting position considering our race pace for tomorrow.”
Race pace and strategy
Indeed, based on yesterday’s simulations, the MCL39 shows strong potential over the race distance. “The race has always been our strength, but I’ll need to get past Max first. We’ll see their pace, which in simulations looked very similar, while also keeping an eye on Ferrari, who will certainly try to fight back,” Norris added.
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