Norris win ‘incredible’ but pole ‘more emotional’

Lando Norris claimed that while winning the Monaco Grand Prix was “incredible,” he was “more emotional” because of the day’s prior pole position.

Monaco’s lead was won by Norris in a perfectly controlled race, but the new rule mandating drivers to use three sets of tyres added jeopardy without any significant impact to the outcome.

However, for Norris, the fact that he had the opportunity to end a difficult run of qualifying results and perhaps turn the corner in his struggles with the McLaren this year had potentially more significance.

Norris won the pole position in Monaco for the second time in a row after starting the season-opening race from the front of the grid. Oscar Piastri, a teammate, had already won three poles and four victories and appeared to be the championship favorite in the interim.

However, Norris’ pole-then-win in Monaco, combined with Piastri’s struggles to finish third in both qualifying and races, reduces the Australian’s lead to three points and increases his lead over Max Verstappen, who finished fourth in Monaco, to 22 points.

“Today is incredible, but I felt more emotion yesterday than today,” said Norris. That’s how much yesterday helped me get back into qualifying because it’s something I’ve only had my entire life.

Norris has found it challenging to drive on the restricted area of this year’s McLaren car because it doesn’t give him the front-end feedback and thrust he needs to be quick.

Over the past few weeks, he and his engineers have put a lot of effort into this. Therefore, it meant a lot to be the fastest man on one of the most demanding tracks on the calendar because precision is more important than anything else.

Norris said, “Bornel gave me confidence. Nothing new happened today, in the sense that I had confidence in every Sunday this year. Although I didn’t need the confidence on Sundays, I did enjoy it more yesterday.

“I almost almost was proud of myself today than I was of yesterday.” I’m more proud of doing it than just because a pole in Monaco guarantees a win, regardless of what the track would have been like.

However, he and McLaren team manager Andrea Stella were reluctant to refer to this as a significant breakthrough.

Norris remarked after the qualifying that it was “undoubtedly a step in the right direction.”

Stella concluded the race by saying that Lando merits praise for a very well-run and executed weekend. And this, in my opinion, is just the start of many more coming in the near future.

“I don’t want to consider a turning point,” I said. The journey we are going through with Oscar and Lando is the opposite of our journey.

Because the two drivers are in or were in different phases, as well as because of the characteristics and opportunities to work on, they are simply different in terms of what we are doing.

“This journey is not altered by any particular stage of the journey. This one, undoubtedly, can greatly improve how the work we have done is organized.

It illustrates that when you put together good work and put your faith in it, the results are visible.

“I believe this will help cement what we have accomplished so far, but for me, we are not quite at the end,” he said.

Piastri kept everything in perspective, as one would expect from a man of such coolness.

The margins are excellent, and he claimed that if it were a bad weekend, things wouldn’t go wrong.

Verstappen and Red Bull made every effort possible during the race. The final lap was where they made their final stop. After Norris, Leclerc, and Piastri made their final stops, they were now in fourth place.

Due to a rule that permits drivers to change tyres under a red flag while maintaining position, the race would have been stopped due to a significant accident, which is not uncommon in Monaco.

Verstappen reacted after the red flag was raised, though. Lewis Hamilton should have gained, but the Ferrari driver was too slow in traffic and other areas to move up from fifth.

Verstappen said he had “no grip,” despite always anticipating a difficult weekend in Monaco as a result of the Red Bull’s long-standing struggles in low-speed corners and over bumps and kerbs.

He said, “When we consider the championship.” I’m just going to race by race, with some tracks that might be better, of course.

Red Bull should be back in the sport more after the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya over the coming weekend.

Verstappen remarked, “Less low-speed corners, more high-speed.” “Hopefully,” the car will be a little more suited for that. Yes, it should be. I’m certain, I suppose, that’s what I hope. That would not be acceptable because we would be 0. 7 seconds a lap behind in Barcelona.

All teams will be affected by a rule change that will make the flexibility of the front wings more stringent. However, it’s still to be seen whether the competitive order changes.