Monte Carlo, May 24 (IANS) Lando Norris stunned the paddock by securing pole position in a dramatic Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session on Saturday. The McLaren driver delivered a blistering 1:09.954 lap in the dying moments of Q3, which is also a track record at the circuit, edging out local hero Charles Leclerc and teammate Oscar Piastri in a closely contested finish.

McLaren’s strategy to allow both drivers two flying laps on fresh soft tyres paid dividends, with Norris claiming the top spot just after Leclerc had momentarily led the charts. Piastri completed the top three, continuing his impressive form.

Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton recovered from a crash in the final practice to finish fourth, while championship leader Max Verstappen struggled and could only manage fifth for Red Bull.

Isack Hadjar starred for Racing Bulls with a remarkable sixth-place finish, ahead of Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin and Esteban Ocon’s Haas. Liam Lawson followed closely in ninth, while Williams’ Alex Albon secured the final spot in the top ten.

Carlos Sainz missed out on Q3 after struggling for grip during his Q2 run, leaving him 11th. Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda followed in 12th, still adapting to the team’s latest setup.

Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg capitalised on issues faced by Mercedes drivers, qualifying 13th. George Russell suffered a power failure in Q2 and placed 14th, while rookie Kimi Antonelli placed 15th.

Further down the order, Gabriel Bortoleto narrowly missed the Q2 cut in the other Kick Sauber machine, with Haas racer Ollie Bearman, the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll, and Alpine pair Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto also falling at the first hurdle.

Bearman will drop to the back of the grid with his 10-place grid penalty for a red flag breach during Friday practice, while Stroll is also set to drop a position thanks to his sanction for an FP1 clash involving Leclerc.

In the overall analysis, Piastri leads the Driver Standings with 146 points, with Lando Norris following behind with 134 points. Defending champion Max Verstappen is third with 124 points, while Russell and Leclerc complete the top five with 99 and 61 points, respectively.

--IANS

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