McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, center, celebrates his pole position flanked with Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc of Monaco, left, and McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia, after the qualifying session ahead of the F1 Monaco Grand Prix race at the Monaco racetrack in Monaco, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
Local hero Charles Leclerc lamented the traffic that affected him in final qualifying on Saturday and admitted he was frustrated at missing out on his fourth Formula One Monaco Grand Prix pole position for Ferrari.
The 27-year-old Monegasque was outpaced in the final seconds of a thrilling qualifying session by a record lap from McLaren’s Lando Norris, who secured his second pole this season and 11th of his career.
“My first lap in Q3 was a bit of a shame because I had traffic in sector two and a good lap gives you more confidence for the second run. But I couldn’t do it,” he said.
READ: F1: Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari ‘running out of time’ to save season
“That’s the way it is and obviously I am frustrated. We know we don’t have the car to go for wins this year, but this weekend our car felt good. Starting second, it is going to be trick to get first place.
“There is always more to be done, but at the end of the day this was the best we could do.”
His win last year made him the first home victor of the Monaco Grand Prix of the modern era.
READ: F1: Max Verstappen wins Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Ferrari team-mate seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was fourth behind championship leader Oscar Pastri in the second McLaren after a hectic day in which his car was rebuilt following a big accident at the end of third practice.
He was also reported for allegedly impeding four-time champion Max Verstappen.
“Not the greatest day, but the weekend has generally gone well,” said Hamilton. “On the track, it is amazing to drive and the car has been quite good.
“The P3 shunt was definitely not helpful for me. There were cars ahead of me and I lost downforce and the back end. But the team did an amazing job to rebuild the car for qualifying.
“And qualifying was so much fun, but it is very difficult to get out of the way for everyone. The team said Max was on a fast lap so I went left and then they said he wasn’t on a fast lap and I moved again, off the line, but I distracted him.”
Verstappen said he understood what had happened, but warned that precedent suggested Hamilton will be penalised.
“Of course at the time you see the car blocking you and when you’re there at high speed, it’s not nice,” he said. “But then I saw immediately that the team told him that I was driving slow, while I was clearly driving fast.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
“So it’s not Lewis’s fault. I quickly chatted to Lewis already about it. It’s very simple, but of course it can’t happen. But that’s the team’s mistake.”
