Lando Norris said that driving “in a smarter way” helped him secure pole position for the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix.
The Brit snatched top spot from home favourite Charles Leclerc late in Q3 to take his 11th career pole, and his first since the opening round in Australia.
Norris’ intervening races have been somewhat of a struggle, speaking of confidence issues with the MCL39, and in his own driving, after falling behind team-mate Oscar Piastri in the Drivers’ standings.
But he looked secure around the famed street circuit and with Piastri third, has a big opportunity to work his way further back into the title picture.
Speaking to media, including Motorsport Week, after qualifying, Norris concluded that improving the way he drives, rather than focusing on the pace of his driving, has made the difference.
“Today was probably the first time since Australia that I’ve really put it all together,” he said. “It’s not like I’m driving quicker. It’s driving in a better way, in a smarter way.
“But there’s been a lot of work that’s come out of this race. For me, even if I was pole on any other track, I think it would have been the pole that’s meant the most to me.
“It probably means even more, more because of what’s happened over the last couple of months. It may not seem like a lot, but for me it’s quite a good thing. So yeah, it’s a very, very good thing.”
Norris said taking pole at such a prestigious circuit was an added bonus to an already important moment.
“It means a lot,” he said. “Not just because it’s been a while since I’ve been here, but just because of how things have been, how things have gone over the last couple of months in qualifying.
“So to come here with a fresh mindset and plenty more opportunities, it’s a more special place to do it. A harder place because it’s more difficult as a lap. More exciting, more pressure.
“But the most relief at the same time when you did a good job. And today was that day. So it means a lot to me, to my own team. Because we’ve been working a lot for another moment like this.”
Norris started to ‘unlock more’ as qualifying played out
Prior to qualifying, Leclerc had topped every free practice session, giving him a strong presence going into the afternoon, but Norris said that as the day wore on, he was able to feel more comfortable in is car.
“I definitely think going into qualifying, I started to see just unlock more, and I was feeling more confident through qualifying. And that’s exactly what you want around here.
“It’s an improved confidence through the session. Especially in Q3 when I was just doing two strong laps. Obviously, a good banker just gives you that reassurance. Then you can enjoy a little bit more the next one, the next time around.”
Norris also affirmed that his engineers “stuck to” its plan of completing one run in Q3 on one set of tyres, and completing the second on two, adding: “And we did what was right. So I’m happy with what we chose to do.”
READ MORE – Lando Norris storms to epic Monaco GP pole position
