Reigning Formula One world champion Lando Norris is concentrating on minimizing losses at the Monaco Grand Prix following a challenging qualifying session that placed him eighth on the starting grid for Sunday’s race. The McLaren driver acknowledged that the team has struggled with pace throughout the weekend, making a podium finish unlikely on the tight Monaco street circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.
Norris faced setbacks early in the weekend after an electrical fault forced him to miss Friday’s second practice session. McLaren mechanics worked late into the night to fix the issue, but the disruption affected his rhythm. Although he made some progress during qualifying, a lock-up on his final flying lap prevented him from securing a better grid position. He will start alongside teammate Oscar Piastri on the fourth row.
“We’ve been on the back foot all weekend, and qualifying reflected that,” Norris said. He recognized that Monaco’s narrow layout offers limited chances to recover positions during the race but emphasized that McLaren will stay alert to opportunities arising from strategic calls or safety car deployments.
“Tomorrow, we’ll adopt an aggressive strategy and be ready to capitalize on any chances, but overtaking here is tough, so we have to be realistic,” he added. Norris also highlighted that McLaren’s immediate focus is on enhancing the car’s rear stability and downforce ahead of next week’s Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
His teammate Piastri shared similar concerns, noting that while the car’s balance has improved since Friday, the team still lacks outright speed. “Anything can happen in Monaco, so let’s see what we can do,” the Australian driver commented.
With both McLaren drivers starting outside the top three rows, the team appears set for a damage-limitation approach rather than a serious bid for victory at Monaco.
