McLaren use Michael Schumacher example to describe Norris' record breaking Monaco pole lap
Formula 1 World Championship 2025, Round 8, Monaco Grand Prix, Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco, Friday 23 May 2025 - Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren MCL39.
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McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has praised Lando Norris' 'excellent' Monaco Grand Prix pole lap but admits that there is still time on the table. Following the qualifying session, much of the discussion centred around Norris' new fastest lap ever recorded at the Monaco street circuit.
Stella still sees areas for improvement
Andrea Stella was naturally very pleased with the Brit's lap but acknowledged that it wasn't perfect. "Well, actually, Lando's lap is very competitive. Some of the corners are very quick, like the chicane after the tunnel, breaking traction, like... Excellence!" Stella began to GPblog and others.
"But actually there's a couple of corners in which we left a little bit of time, like the second he came out of the swimming pool, I think Lando ended up using a little bit too much curve," he stated.
Norris' time was good enough to break the track record around the iconic Monte Carlo streets. Home hero Charles Leclerc lines up in second place. The Ferrari driver's lap time was just over a tenth slower than Norris' best effort. The Brit's teammate Oscar Piastri will start from third.
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Stella then gave insight into the mind of seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher, who told him that he'd never put together a perfect qualifying lap. "So a perfect lap, I worked with Michael Schumacher, he said to me. 'I've never made a perfect lap in qualifying, and if he said that, Michael, I think we can believe that it's quite difficult to put together.
"So it's the best lap ever made in Monaco, but it's not a perfect lap in itself in terms of praising it. Well, I leave this to you, certainly," he concluded.
Max Verstappen has inherited fourth place after his impeding incident with Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion, who originally qualified in fourth, now starts the race from seventh after receiving a three-place grid drop from the stewards.
This article was written in collaboration with Hidde Korte
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