Monaco always surprises come the month of May and 2025 is no different. An exhilarating Qualifying session for Sunday’s Grand Prix has seen McLaren’s Lando Norris take pole in the dying moments from local favourite Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with Piastri, Hamilton and Verstappen filling the remaining five positions.
What was no surprise is Liam Lawson’s ninth position with Racing Bull teammate Isack Hadjar in sixth after both moved through to the final ten in the Q3 session.
This is the Lawson we know and haven’t seen so far this season and will be welcomed by many fans and maybe more so by his Red Bull backers.
Having set 17th fastest time in the first Friday Practice (FP1), Lawson improved to fifth fastest in FP2 and then seventh in FP3. Evidence of a much better weekend performance heading into qualifying.
“We were able to unlock the car in Free Practice and I’ve been feeling pretty comfortable all weekend,” commented Lawson. “It was a strong Qualifying for the team, we had a really fast car today but we had even more on the table, as we struggled a little bit with the tyres and had some traffic in Q3.”
Little passing is expected in Monaco so qualifying position is everything.
“It will be exciting tomorrow with the new rules ( three sets of tyres must be used, hence two pitstops required), we are all going to be learning and trying to make the most of every opportunity and the two stops will certainly make it interesting.
“We will plan the best we can, but the most important part of the weekend is done. It’s nice that everything has come together to get us to this point, I am stoked for the team with both cars in Q3, we are in a decent position and I’m positive for tomorrow.”
A result like this will go a long way to restoring Lawson’s holding in the team.
Note: Hamilton moves down from fourth to seventh grid position, after an impeding incident in F1 Monaco GP qualifying
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