Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying results: Lando Norris snatches pole from Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri finishes third

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who dominated all three free practice sessions in Monaco, came close to securing pole position in the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session. However, McLaren’s Lando Norris pulled off a stunning lap to steal pole at the last moment, setting the fastest ever lap of Monaco with a time of 1m 09.954s on Saturday. Leclerc had to settle for second on the grid, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured third place.Lewis Hamilton showed significant improvement in his Ferrari and qualified fourth. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, despite showing early promise, struggled later in the session and could only manage fifth place, finishing just behind Hamilton — a rare occurrence this season.Traffic once again proved to be a major factor on the narrow streets of Monaco, where overtaking is notoriously difficult. This makes the starting grid critically important for Sunday’s race. The fight for pole was intensely competitive, with positions constantly changing among McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.Mercedes endured a disappointing session. Neither George Russell nor Kimi Antonelli managed to complete qualifying. Antonelli hit the barriers at the Nouvelle Chicane and retired, while Russell's car suffered a sudden power failure in the tunnel, bringing out the red flags. The cause of the failure remains unclear.Among the standout performances in Saturday’s qualifying was Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls, who finished sixth. He was followed by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in seventh, after the team's new technical director made his first appearance at a race this season a day before. Three other drivers who deserve recognition include Haas’s Esteban Ocon, who qualified eighth; Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, who finished ninth; and Alexander Albon, who rounded out the top ten. Carlos Sainz endured a difficult session and had to settle for 11th place on the grid.Also Read: Monaco Grand Prix 2025: Schedule, timings, where to watch the race and weather forecastThe main Monaco Grand Prix race is scheduled for Sunday at 3:00 PM local time (6:30 PM IST). It remains to be seen if Leclerc will be able to win back his first place on Sunday.