McLaren’s Lando Norris Secures Back-to-Back Pole Positions at Monza
McLaren’s Dominance Continues as Norris Aims to Close Gap in F1 Standings
Lando Norris has secured back-to-back pole positions in Formula 1 for the first time in his career at Monza, following his victory in the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Norris’s impressive form continues as he aims to close the gap in the Formula 1 standings with Max Verstappen.
The British driver edged out his teammate Oscar Piastri, who locked out the front row for McLaren. Piastri believes it’s still too early to assist Norris’s bid to beat Verstappen in the drivers’ championship.
“It’s still too early to assist Lando’s bid to beat Verstappen in the drivers’ championship,” said Piastri.
Norris credits McLaren’s recent improvements, particularly an upgrade in aerodynamic efficiency, which is worth 20km/h on the straights compared to last year. This has given the team a boost in performance.
George Russell qualified third on the grid in his Mercedes, despite feeling “on the back foot” following a crash by his newly-announced 2025 teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli in first practice.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz secured fourth and fifth places, respectively. Sainz rued not adjusting his balance to dial out understeer in the fast corners, which he feels cost him more than having a mosquito in his helmet.
Future Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton will start sixth, admitting he was “absolutely furious” that he didn’t put his best sectors together. Max Verstappen, who currently leads the Formula 1 standings, could only manage seventh for Red Bull, with Sergio Perez directly behind.
Team boss Christian Horner was left scratching his head, unable to explain the drop in pace on new tyres in Q3, having been quicker on older rubber in Q2.
New Williams driver Franco Colapinto will start his first grand prix from 18th after making an error on his final lap in Q1.
The 16th round of the 2024 Formula 1 season, the Italian Grand Prix, takes place on Sunday, 1 September, at 3:00 pm local time (2:00 pm BST).
Broadcast Information
- In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports will broadcast the Italian Grand Prix live, with pre-race coverage starting at 12:30 pm BST on Sky Sports F1.
- Autosport will also run a live text coverage of the Italian Grand Prix.
- Highlights of the Italian Grand Prix will be shown on Channel 4 at 5:30 pm BST on Sunday.
Weather Forecast
The weather forecast for the Italian Grand Prix predicts dry and cloudy conditions at Monza, with a minimal chance of rain and low winds. The temperature is expected to be 32 degrees Celsius for the start of the race.
Race Details
The Italian Grand Prix consists of 53 laps of Monza, covering a total race distance of 306.72 km.
Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix Starting Grid
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
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