Norris Scores Back-to-Back Pole Positions at Monza
Monza, Italy – In a remarkable display of driving prowess, Lando Norris of the McLaren team has secured back-to-back pole positions for the first time in his Formula 1 career. This achievement comes on the heels of his recent victory at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort, further cementing his strong form in the 2024 season.
Norris, the young British driver, managed to outperform his teammate Oscar Piastri, who believes it is still too early to assist Norris in his bid to challenge Max Verstappen for the Drivers’ Championship. The McLaren team’s front-row lockout is a testament to the improvements made to the car’s aerodynamic efficiency, which Norris claims has provided a significant top-speed advantage of around 20km/h over last year’s model.
Despite Mercedes driver George Russell feeling “on the back foot” after his car needed repairs following a crash for his newly-announced 2025 team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli in the first practice session, the Briton still managed to secure the third position on the grid.
The Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz secured the fourth and fifth positions, respectively, with Sainz expressing disappointment in not adjusting the car’s balance to better tackle the fast corners. Meanwhile, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who will be joining Ferrari in the future, was left to start from sixth position, despite admitting to being “absolutely furious” that he couldn’t put together his best sectors.
“I am absolutely furious that I couldn’t put together my best sectors. I had the pace, but it just didn’t come together in the final qualifying run.”
- Lewis Hamilton
Defending world champion Max Verstappen could only manage seventh place for Red Bull, with his teammate Sergio Perez directly behind him. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner was at a loss to explain the team’s drop in pace on new tires during the final qualifying session, having been quicker on older rubber in the earlier Q2 session.
The 16th round of the 2024 F1 season, the Italian Grand Prix, will take place on Sunday, September 1st, with the race starting at 3:00 pm local time. Fans in the UK can catch the live action on Sky Sports F1, while Channel 4 will broadcast highlights later in the day.
🔗 Source