Lando Norris reflects on his historic Monaco Grand Prix pole lap, predicting it may remain unbeaten as F1 enters a new era.
Lando Norris expects that his record-setting pole position lap at the Monaco Grand Prix will stand the test of time for many years.
The McLaren driver became the first to complete a lap of Formula 1’s most iconic circuit in under one minute and ten seconds. His 1:09.954 lap beat Charles Leclerc to pole by a tenth of a second.
According to Norris, this record is likely to remain intact, as Formula 1 will undergo a major overhaul of its technical regulations next year. The 2026 regulations will allow for lighter and narrower cars—a theoretical advantage on the streets of Monaco. However, changes to aerodynamics and power units are expected to result in generally slower lap times.
“My pole lap in Monaco! That 1:09 time is very unlikely to be beaten any time soon, unless the track layout changes,” Norris said when asked about his proudest moment during the recent triple-header of Grands Prix.
“Next year’s cars will be far from as quick as this year’s. Hopefully, that lap time will stand for a very, very long time.”
He expressed particular pride in claiming pole position at one of F1’s most demanding circuits. Norris had never taken pole in Formula 1 at Monaco before and lost his only previous pole there in the Formula Renault Eurocup nine years ago due to a technical infringement.
“The meaning, the history, the people who have won here in the past—they don’t always become champions, but most of them do. And just knowing that in 30 years I’ll be able to say: ‘I mastered Monaco that year’—and hopefully in a few other years too—that’s incredibly rewarding. A great source of pride.”