What the teams said – Qualifying in Monaco

McLaren

When Leclerc topped FP3, it looked like Mclaren were realistically fighting for second today, but come Qualifying, their car came alive. Norris looked the more stable of the duo throughout Qualifying, Piastri quick but erratic as the Australian even clipped the barriers at one point, but both made it to Q3 relatively easily.

They were the only team to come out early enough on their last set of tyres for two push laps – which is just as well. They went 1-2 on their first lap on that last run, but while Piastri made a mistake on his second lap, Norris nailed his to jump back ahead of a rapid Leclerc. It's Norris’ first pole since Australia and first in Monaco.

READ MORE: Norris' Monaco pole 'a long time coming' as McLaren driver says he 'worked hard for today'

Lando Norris, 1st, 1:09.954

"Pole in Monaco, it feels good! We’ve worked hard to have a day like this. It’s very special to do it here in Monaco, the hardest track to take Pole, and I'm very proud of the whole team, here at the track and back at the factory.

"We employed a different run plan to our rivals but it’s what we believed would be best and we stuck with it. The final lap in Q3 around this circuit is about who can risk a little bit more. It was a well put-together lap and it feels good when you cross the line and know it has paid off. I'm going to live in the moment for a little bit and then shift focus to tomorrow.”

Oscar Piastri, 3rd, 1:10.129

“Third is a decent result. It’s been a slightly messier weekend on my end, but we were able to put together some solid laps. My first lap in Q3 felt good, and then on the second lap, I made a small mistake in the Nouvelle Chicane which meant I left a little bit out there, but we can be happy. Well done to Lando. It’s going to be an exciting race tomorrow with the two stops, so let's see what happens.”

Andrea Stella, Team Principal

“An intense and tight Qualifying session – as is often the case here in Monaco. The car was competitive throughout, with Lando and Oscar putting together strong laps. It’s a positive outcome, with the cars on the front two rows, which is important for tomorrow where the two mandatory stops are likely to make the race much more open than it has traditionally been. Well done to Lando in securing a Pole position, setting the new lap record for the Circuit de Monaco, and likewise for Oscar who was right up there all the way through Qualifying. Now, the focus goes onto tomorrow.”

Ferrari

Hamilton crashed at the end of FP3, which was hardly ideal heading into Qualifying but at least his team mate topped the session, Leclerc again demonstrating how much pace Ferrari have in Monaco. The team did a good job to repair Hamilton’s car for Qualifying, and he repaid them with a Q3 slot. He did get investigated for impeding Verstappen in Q1, swiftly apologising to the Dutchman afterwards after explaining that he had been told his rival was on a slow lap. But he still picked up a three place grid drop and will start seventh.

As for Leclerc, having flirted with pole throughout Qualifying, it took a very special last lap from Norris to beat the Monegasque here on his own streets, as he was forced to settle for second.

READ MORE: Leclerc ‘proud’ but ‘very frustrated’ after narrowly missing out on Monaco pole to Norris

Charles Leclerc, 2nd, 1:10.063

"Our expectations for this weekend weren't particularly high, so finishing at the top of the FPs was a positive sign. Unfortunately, this brings some disappointment with it, not having taken pole today. It should be an interesting race tomorrow. There will be strategic games between the teams with the mandatory two-stop, and it's possible that we will find some cars from further down the grid in the mix, so it should be exciting and I can't wait to race on my home streets again."

Lewis Hamilton, 4th, 1:10.382

"It’s been a demanding day, but there are plenty of positives to take. I’m incredibly grateful to the team for getting the car back out after FP3, their effort was outstanding. We got the most out of qualifying today. Obviously, I’m disappointed with the final starting grid position, as I’ve been pleased with how the car has felt all weekend and the steps we’ve made. The two-stop strategy will definitely add an extra layer of complexity to the race, but that also opens up opportunities. The goal is to keep pushing and fight for a strong result."

Fred Vasseur, Team Principal

"For the first time this season, we managed to put everything together in qualifying, and doing so here in Monaco makes it even more rewarding. The team did a very good job today and we were competitive right from Q1. However, there’s a bit of frustration, as Charles had been quickest in every session, but he still delivered a strong performance and came very close to pole. Lewis also did a great job of rebuilding his confidence after this morning's crash. But unfortunately he will have to start from seventh. In general, we can say we've made good progress compared to previous Saturdays. Now we need to focus on the race, where the goal will be to put pressure on McLaren. We’ll focus on ourselves and prepare for tomorrow’s challenge."

Red Bull

Verstappen was exceptionally quick on the medium tyre in FP3, but he could not extract the grip he wanted on the softs which was a worry for the team. But he did much better on the C6 rubber in the early stages of Qualifying. He looked in the mix for pole, but in Q3 his pace faded badly, and he wound up fifth. As for Tsunoda, he also struggled with rear grip and exited in Q2 – having to settle for a disappointing P12 on the grid.

EXPLAINED: What is the new two-stop rule for the Monaco Grand Prix – and how will it work?

Max Verstappen, 5th, 1:10.669

“In FP3 it was clear that we had limitations but unfortunately in sector two we were fairly slow, which was a shame. We were hoping for a bit more pace but it is clear that we are weaker in low speed. We had issues with the kerbs, which has always been the case with this car, and we generally struggle on the low-speed corners. We were just lacking feeling and balance and only managed P5 today. Regarding the moment with Lewis, I understand the Team told him that I was driving slow when in the fast lane so that was not his fault and had nothing to do with him but was a scary moment. Tomorrow, we will have to see how the two stop affects the race and what it brings. It can work for you, or against you, so it is impossible to know at the moment how it will work. It is difficult to pass so we will have to really rely on our strategy and see what the race brings for us.”

Yuki Tsunoda, 12th, 1:11.415

“It was a frustrating day today. I had the pace in FP3 and Q1 and I was running close to Max. I felt ok and the pace was there to reach Q3, I just wasn’t able to put a normal lap in during Q2 or one to show what we were capable of. In Monaco it is always difficult to get a clean lap and there was also a red flag thrown in. It had been a pretty clean race week until today and the car had felt good for me, so I am disappointed. I think we will see some interesting stuff tomorrow with the two-stop requirement and I don’t think it is going to be a straightforward race. It is hard to predict what will happen in the race but I will do my best. If I see an opportunity I will go for it, and I will try my best to score points."

Christian Horner, Team Principal

“It was a tough Quali in the end. We haven’t managed to carry the speed we found in P3 into Qualifying. It was looking ok at times, I think in Q1 we were looking like we were in with a shout. Then, in Q2 as the track was starting to grip up, we started to see some issues with pace. It was particularly in sector two, where we were struggling and that seems to be where the most damage was. We knew coming here it wasn’t going to be our track but with two pit stops tomorrow there is a little more to play with than usual and we still have a chance.”

Racing Bulls

After a quick Friday, Hadjar struggled for grip in FP3 and wound up down the order, but Lawson showed there was still good pace in the car as he finished in the top 10. The Kiwi carried that form into Qualifying, making Q3 with ease and he was joined there by his team mate – who somehow found the rhythm that he’d lacked earlier. Both grabbed their best grid slots of the season – Hadjar with a brilliant P6, promoted one spot due to Hamilton's penalty, with Lawson starting a few slots further back.

HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the Qualifying action as Norris denies home hero Leclerc pole position in Monaco

Isack Hadjar, 6th, 1:10.923 "I think this is the perfect result and the maximum we could achieve today. We had a difficult FP3 this morning, and going to Qualifying, I didn’t have great confidence in the car. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure we would reach Q3, so getting to P6 is outstanding. We played it smart and took it step by step, lap after lap. We made the right adjustments every time we went back to the garage, and we were able to make the right steps forward. In Q2, I really felt the car came more alive.

"The target today was to qualify well before starting to think about tomorrow, so there will be plenty to look at tonight in terms of strategies. I’m optimistic about going to the race, and I think that it’s going to be interesting having to do two stops. We definitely have the car to fight.”

Liam Lawson, 9th, 1:11.129 "We were able to unlock the car in Free Practice and I’ve been feeling pretty comfortable all weekend. It was a strong Qualifying for the team, we had a really fast car today but we had even more on the table, as we struggled a little bit with the tyres and had some traffic in Q3. It will be exciting tomorrow with the new rules, we are all going to be learning and trying to make the most of every opportunity and the two stops will certainly make it interesting.

"We will plan the best we can but the most important part of the weekend is done. It’s nice that everything has come together to get us to this point, I am stoked for the team with both cars in Q3, we are in a decent position and I’m positive for tomorrow.”

Tim Goss, Chief Technical Officer “An excellent day for the team. Not without its challenges though. After Friday, we knew we needed more and worked hard in engineering support and the simulator to dial some understeer out of the car and to improve the kerbing performance through the swimming pool chicane. The plan for FP3 was to give our two drivers as many laps as possible to get dialled into the circuit and to give them consistency on the tyres to gain confidence. Here at Monaco, every bit of learning counts. The set up changes were a success for Liam.

"Isack still lacked some confidence in the car and we took the decision to further evolve his setup with a few more small adjustments. As Qualifying progressed, both drivers gained further in the understanding of the car and how to get the tyres into the right window. They both delivered phenomenal laps to put themselves P6 and P9. It's a driver's circuit. We have two great drivers.”

Aston Martin

Stroll was carrying a one-place grid drop into Qualifying, and his day did not start much better when he impeded Gasly in Q1 after saying he didn’t see the Frenchman coming. He fell by the wayside in Q1, and then the stewards handed him a further three-place grid drop.

Alonso though made it all the way to Q3 on the medium tyres, his last Q2 effort so special he crowed down the radio. He backed that up in the top 10 shootout with seventh – not quite as good as Imola, but not bad at all.

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Fernando Alonso, 7th, 1:10.924

"I'm very happy with P7 in Qualifying and I think we did the best job possible. It's such a high adrenaline circuit here and you have to take a huge amount of risk around the lap, but this is what makes it the best Saturday of the year. It's extremely rewarding as a driver. In a normal Monaco, P7 in Qualifying would normally mean the same result in the race, but with the new rules it creates different strategies and opportunities for everyone. Let's see what happens and if we can be on the right side of the luck tomorrow."

Lance Stroll, 19th, 1:12.563

"Unfortunate session for me today, there was lots of traffic at the start of Q1 that cost me valuable time and then a messy end to Q1 with the yellow flag which cost me the chance to improve my lap time and progress to Q2. We'll see what we can do with the two-stop strategy tomorrow, if there are opportunities to fight back some positions and with some luck there could be the Safety Car playing into our hands."

Andy Cowell, Team Principal

"Saturday in Monaco is the most important Qualifying session of the year, so it was great to see Fernando deliver some excellent laps and secure seventh on the grid. He really enjoyed those laps, and you could see how much it meant to him and the entire team. Fernando was the only driver to progress through Q2 on the Medium tyres and full credit to the team for a well-executed session. Lance was really unlucky today: his opening laps were impacted by traffic and the yellow flag at the end of Q1 cost him the chance to progress. There's plenty to play for tomorrow, especially with different strategies expected up and down the grid with all cars pitting at least twice."

Williams

Williams looked quick on Saturday, as they did on Friday and aimed to get both cars into Q3, but a gamble on the mediums in Q2 did not pay off with the timing of the red flags. In the end they swapped to softs, Albon making it through but Sainz tumbling out after complaining of a lack of rear grip. In Q3, Albon opted for the mediums for his first run, but his second run was not strong enough and he wound up a slightly disappointing P10.

FACTS AND STATS: Norris smashes Monaco lap record to claim McLaren's first pole there since 2007

Alex Albon, 10th, 1:11.213

"Frustrating day. I think my Q2 lap was half a second quicker than my Q3, so we need to understand why. We were in a really good rhythm from FP1 to FP3 and then in Qualifying it seemed that the tyres were not working properly throughout, and they were inconsistent. With that Q2 lap I thought we finally got it to work then we lost grip again in Q3. Even though it’s a two-stop it’s still going to be a managed race to some extent so it will be interesting."

Carlos Sainz,11th, 1:11.362

"My weekend has been challenging from the beginning, never finding a sweet spot with the car. Despite that, I had enough pace to go into Q3 but for some reason the Soft tyre on our car felt a bit like a lottery and in Q2 we clearly didn’t switch it on, which meant we had no grip at all. It’s frustrating, but I think that tomorrow we might have an interesting race with the mandatory two-stops. We’ll try to make the most out of it."

James Vowles, Team Principal

"Today was all about tyres. We didn’t have them working the right way with Carlos in Q2 or with Alex at the end of Q3. There is lots to learn and understand but that won’t apply tomorrow. The main element now is working on how we move forward with the new two-stop regulations in the race and I’m confident the car is still quick."

Haas

Bearman was carrying a 10-place grid drop into Qualifying, so would have been forgiven for sitting it out and saving tyres. But instead he took part fully, although he exited in Q1 thanks to the late red flags. Ocon made it to Q2, and then motored all the way into Q3 for just the second time this season. He ran the mediums for his first run in Q3, before switching to the softs and bagging eighth, fractions behind Alonso in P7 as the Frenchman chases his first points since Bahrain.

Esteban Ocon, 8th, 1:10.942

“I’m extremely happy, it’s very unexpected. Looking at where we’ve struggled at some events now with the front end of the car, we’re not exactly where we want to be. We’ve seen the issue more and more at these last events and it’s been good to see that we’ve continued working as a team, even through qualifying to figure it out. That Q2 lap was decent and we saw that something was to play for, and that Q3 lap I was really happy with, I think we maximized the potential. It was a nice effort from everyone, I’m happy with that, but I’m sure we can do better than this. Tomorrow, there’s going to be a lot of unknowns – we need to see who’s on which tire, but we’ll enjoy it now and start working on strategy tonight.”

Oliver Bearman, 17th, 1:11.979

“The feeling was really good in qualifying; the car felt the best it had done all weekend and I had great confidence. I was really happy with that qualifying, but we didn’t want to be in Q2 because of our penalty, although I think my lap would’ve got me into Q2 quite cleanly. A good qualifying position wouldn’t have changed my life unless it was in the top five, and we didn’t expect to be there today. I still wanted to push and see, and I was really happy with the two laps I did on new tires. It’s a shame as the pace was really good today but we’re going to have to suck it up and get on with it. I’m sure we can try something though, it’s going to be a crazy race tomorrow."

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal

“There are mixed feelings after qualifying because of Ollie’s penalty and the pace he’s been showing all weekend, but I’m so happy for Esteban. In Monaco, qualifying is so important, and it’s definitely the most challenging qualifying to manage, but I’m delighted in the way that everyone worked together. Our execution and operation was good, communication was good, and Esteban just stepped up every single time. On Ollie’s lap, we told him to back off and we discussed it before. It was tricky to manage but we got it spot on, as Ollie ended one tenth behind Esteban in Q1, and that’s what we wanted to do. Anyway, I’m so happy we could show this potential and the whole team’s execution of the session.”

Kick Sauber

It was a mixed bag for Kick Sauber in Monte Carlo. Bortoleto exited in a disrupted Q1 session, the late red flags limiting everyone’s flying laps as the chequered flag fell. Hulkenberg made Q2 though, and briefly flirted with the top 10 but ultimately did not have the pace for Q3. He was 13th though, the second best Grand Prix Qualifying he has managed this season.

Nico Hulkenberg, 13th, 1:11.596

“It was a clean qualifying session today. Reaching Q2 was an important target, and I’m pleased we achieved that: to be honest, however, I was hoping for a stronger grid position than P13. In the final runs of Q2 I wasn’t able to find more lap time, especially in sector one and two; sector three was really strong, but it unfortunately the wasn’t quite enough to make it into Q3.

“Our focus now shifts to tomorrow’s race. We showed solid pace on long runs during yesterday’s free practice, which gives us some confidence. The real challenge, though, will be managing the three mandatory sets of tyres. It will be interesting to see how teams approach that, as there are quite a few strategic options on the table. Obviously, teams and drivers will have long meetings tonight and cook up some ideas.”

Gabriel Bortoleto, 16th, 1:11.902

"It's very painful to miss Q2 by just two hundredths of a second, especially here in Monaco, where everything is so close and the difference hangs on getting every corner perfectly. I braked just a bit too late going into the second-to-last corner, which caused some understeer and likely cost me those crucial milliseconds. But in a qualifying session like this, everyone could say the same—there’s always something more you could have done. After a tough FP3, I'm glad we found a better balance for qualifying; it was the first session in which I felt at ease with the car, which is crucial as you need to be on the pace from the first run.

“Tomorrow's race, with the new tyre compound rules, will be interesting—we'll likely see some crazy strategies, some successful and others not, but there will be a few more chances to move up compared to a regular Monaco. We're close to our rivals, and we'll try to maximise any opportunity. Even though today’s result is disappointing, it's part of the unique challenge of Monaco. Now, our focus shifts entirely to tomorrow—we have to be clever with our strategy and fight for every position."

Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal

"Today’s qualifying session underscored just how incredibly tight the margins are this season. In Q1, the gap between P1 and P15 was a mere six-tenths of a second. Gabriel delivered a clean and composed performance throughout all three practice sessions and into qualifying. It’s important to remember that this was his first time driving on this circuit in a Formula One car, and his measured approach gave him the best possible foundation going into the session. In the end, he narrowly missed out on Q2 by just 0.022 seconds, finishing P16.

“Nico, meanwhile, found a strong rhythm over the weekend, carried that momentum into qualifying, and progressed through to Q2 to secure P13. What stood out most today was the team’s execution—communication was sharp, decisions were well-timed, and everything came together cohesively. It’s a strong indicator of the team's operational strength and gives us confidence heading into tomorrow’s race.

“Looking ahead, the revised sporting regulations—which require all teams to use three sets of tyres—will demand smart, flexible strategy calls. That’s where opportunities may arise, and we’ll be doing everything we can to identify and capitalise on them.”

Mercedes

Mercedes were not particularly quick in final practice, Russell even saying on the radio that he was out of ideas. But their day went from bad to worse in Qualifying. First Antonelli clipped the barriers coming into the Nouvelle Chicane, hitting the opposite wall as he exited Qualifying as a result. Then Russell lost power at the start of Q2, having to be pushed out of the tunnel by the marshals to end his day earlier than planned. Far from ideal, but the team might now gamble big on strategy tomorrow to try and salvage a point or two.

READ MORE: ‘It all went out the window’ – Russell explains ‘game over’ moment as Mercedes duo suffer early Monaco Qualifying exits

George Russell, 14th, 1:11.507

"Today was incredibly disappointing. I felt good in the car in Q1, and the team had done a fantastic job in turning it around after three difficult practice sessions. To not have the chance to show what was possible in Qualifying is both frustrating and a little heartbreaking. I believe we had a chance to get the car onto the front two rows of the grid. I had only used one set of the Soft tyres in Q1 and the Medium compound at the start of Q2 felt good. It was definitely coming towards us.

"The issue itself was odd. I hit a bump on the run out of Turn 1 and lost power. It felt like something electronic just disconnected. I tried everything I could to get the car back to the garage and then restart it when I stopped in the tunnel. Unfortunately, there was nothing more we could do. Starting P14 tomorrow is obviously far from ideal. That is even more true in Monaco. It will be a struggle to score anything more than minor points but, with the two mandatory stops, let’s wait and see what happens."

Kimi Antonelli, 15th, No time set in Q2

"I am gutted by how today's Qualifying session went. We are always close to the limit in Monaco and the line between getting it right and getting it wrong is thin. That is particularly true come Qualifying. I tried to find those missing tenths but ultimately had an unnecessary and costly mistake. I turned slightly earlier than usual in Turn 10 and clipped the barrier. I damaged the front, and I know there was nothing I could do from there and was a passenger into the barrier. I had enough pace to get through to the latter parts of Qualifying, so it was a costly error.

"It is such a shame because we were coming back into a good place with the car and I was finding a good rhythm. We had struggled the entire weekend up to that point, but I kept improving lap after lap in Q1. I felt good in the car today and I can only say sorry to the team. Starting P14 tomorrow in Monaco means that we need to think differently. We did not expect to be starting this far back with both cars so tomorrow we will be looking to take any opportunities we can and chase all the positions possible."

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport

"Today was a difficult day and a very disappointing result - to finish P14 and P15 is a long way below our level. We were struggling for pace in practice and made some sizeable set-up changes going into Qualifying. For George in particular, this made the car come alive and he showed really strong pace to finish Q1 in the top five.

"Unfortunately, it was a more difficult session for Kimi. He was right on the cut-off when he made a small mistake on the entry of the Nouvelle Chicane - but like always in Monaco, it had big consequences, and he finished in the barrier.

"We therefore began Q2 with one car and George running the Medium tyre; he had found nearly one tenth of a second in the first corner when he suddenly lost power going up the hill to Massenet. We suspect an electrical fault, but the team is still working to track down the exact cause. As he came to a halt in the tunnel, and was unable to restart the car, it became clear that he would line up just ahead of Kimi in P14. It's all the more frustrating as George had the pace to fight for the front two rows today.

"It goes without saying that it will be a long afternoon tomorrow - the mandatory two stops might open up more opportunities than usually happens in Monaco, but it won't be easy to make up places. Notwithstanding that, we will be giving it our all and racing hard to get the maximum from what has been a difficult weekend so far."

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

"It is really disappointing to be this far down the grid with both of our cars for tomorrow’s race.

"We’ve been struggling the entire weekend with our single laps, and it has not been easy on our drivers. That has put them under a lot of pressure this weekend to deliver fast laps at the critical moments and that definitely contributed to Kimi’s incident. Drivers are always on the limit here in Monaco and a little mistake can cost a lot. That was certainly true on his side of the garage and that left him P15.

"On George’s side, he was pleased with the progress we had made since the end of FP3. We had been making significant setup changes from FP1 through to Qualifying and it felt like we had found a good pace by the start of Q1. That allowed George to only use one set of Soft tyres in that segment and would have been beneficial in the latter parts of Qualifying. In Q2, we decided to go for the Medium tyres as they appeared to be quick as well. Our session came to an end shortly after with a loss of power after hitting a bump. We're investigating the cause of that, but it looks like an electrical issue.

"Starting P14 and P15, we will review all the strategic options for tomorrow’s race overnight. We know that starting so far back that it won’t be an easy Grand Prix. The silver lining is that with the mandatory two stops regulation, it should afford us more flexibility and create more opportunities. It hopefully will increase our chances to make progress, and we will stand ready to take advantage."

Alpine

Not to be for Alpine in Monaco. They gambled on the medium tyres at the start of Qualifying, but soon switched to the softs. Gasly lost a flying lap after being impeded by Stroll, and then the late red flags for Antonelli’s crash meant he lost a chance to move on. Colapinto just didn’t have the pace all day, as he continues to struggle to get to grips with the track here.

Pierre Gasly, 18th, 1:11.994

“It is always disappointing to be knocked out in Q1 so right now I feel sad for everyone at the team. We were lacking pace today. It is all relative, though, as we were seven tenths off the best time in Q1 and that is the difference between being in the top ten in the session or being in the bottom five and out. For some reason we are just too slow here. The car is moving around on the bumps, we are lacking grip and generally sliding too much. We tried different set-ups but we just could not fix those difficult areas. Tomorrow, we have the mandatory two-stops, so it certainly is not over yet. We need something to happen and we will see what we can do tomorrow to try and work our way back up towards the points positions. There are a lot of cars ahead in order to make our way to the top ten but tomorrow could be interesting with some variation on strategy. We just have to be on top of it and see what we can achieve.”

Franco Colapinto, 20th, 1:12.597

“It was not the easiest day for us today. We have struggled with the pace of the car, in particular on the Soft tyres in low speed corners where we face some difficulties with traction. We expected to be able to extract more from the car here but that has not been the case and the result from Qualifying sets us a challenge to move forward tomorrow. We will look to capitalise on the uncertainty the new mandatory two-stop at this track will bring to the race. No one knows what advantage the new rule will give to teams, which will make the race even more unpredictable, especially with how a Safety Car could make or break anyone’s strategy. We will keep our heads down and work tonight to prepare for the challenge tomorrow.”

Flavio Briatore, Executive Advisor

“We thought coming to Monaco we would be more competitive than we have shown so far this weekend. It has not been a good Saturday and it is clear we need to improve and give the drivers a car that is quicker and more consistent. With two stops in the race tomorrow it gives us more of a chance with strategy to make a move in the pit-stops, so let’s see what we can do with the engineers to help Pierre and Franco tomorrow.”

Pirelli

Mario Isola, Motorsport Director

“What a qualifying session! Saturday in Monaco always delivers plenty of excitement and that was the case once again today. For us, it was very interesting to see how the C6 performed in qualifying again and I believe we can say that, on this track, the softest compound in the 2025 range offered a little something extra in terms of performance compared to the C5. We’re definitely not talking about a big difference, around a tenth of a second or so, a tenth and a half, but it was definitely there. Yes, we saw some drivers using the Medium in qualifying which confirms the performance gap is not that big and also, as we saw last week in Imola, that in some situations, the C5 can offer greater confidence compared to its softer sibling, something that takes on great importance at this track. Usually, Sunday can be less exciting than Saturday in Monaco, but I think that this time we can expect a different afternoon’s action to usual.

FACTS AND STATS: Norris smashes Monaco lap record to claim McLaren's first pole there since 2007

"In terms of strategy, tomorrow’s race will be a one-off. The changes to the Sporting Regulations introduced specifically for this Grand Prix require the use of at least three sets of tyres, which means anything is possible in terms of the pit stop windows, given that there really are so many theoretical possibilities, not to mention appearances from the Safety Car being quite likely at this track. All three compounds will come into play: in fact, drivers from three teams, Red Bull, Racing Bulls and Sauber, only have one set of Hard tyres and one of Medium, so they are bound to have to use the C6 during the race.

"We know how good the teams are when it comes to exploiting any opportunity presented by the regulations, so we can expect some surprises, including in terms of stint lengths.”