Lando Norris makes Max Verstappen comment straight after being beaten to Monza pole position

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Red Bull driver Max Verstappen topped qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix for his fifth pole position of 2025 yet, after narrowly beating McLaren rival Lando Norris at Monza.

A mere 0.077 seconds separated Verstappen and Norris in the fight for pole at the Italian GP on Saturday, with the Red Bull ace snatching P1 away from his McLaren rival at the very end. Norris briefly claimed provisional pole with a 1:18.869 lap before Verstappen set a 1:18.792.

Verstappen’s pole-winning lap around Monza also marks the fastest-ever lap in F1 history, as the 27-year-old’s effort eclipsed the previous record that Lewis Hamilton set in Q3 at Monza in 2020. Verstappen had an average speed of 164.464mph, to edge Hamilton’s 164.267mph.

Lando Norris expects a ‘big challenge’ to beat Max Verstappen in the Italian Grand Prix

Red Bull saw Verstappen make the difference at the very end of his final flying lap during Q3 at Monza to beat Norris to pole for the Italian GP. They were level leaving the Ascari Chicane before the stronger straight-line speed of the RB21 compared to the MCL39 started to show.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the 2025 F1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza

Norris was happy with his effort, as the 25-year-old will still start the Italian GP in front of his McLaren teammate and F1 drivers’ championship rival Oscar Piastri. But the Briton told Nico Rosberg that he is not feeling confident about being able to overtake Verstappen in the race.

“I always view my result depending on how I drove,” Norris said in the official post-qualifying interview. “I don’t feel I did the best of jobs. But to end up with P2, I’m still happy.

“So, let’s say good things and bad things. P2 is not a bad position to be off the line. I want to be ahead of everyone, and that includes my championship contenders and Oscar.

“Our race on a Sunday is normally our strength. But to get past Max, I’m sure it’s going to be a big challenge. But we’ll wait and see. Their pace was also very strong.

“If you see the end of the stints, they’re doing the same lap times as us. So, I don’t expect any magical things. And we’ve got the Ferraris behind, who I’m sure will want to come through as quickly as possible.”

Lando Norris won the British Grand Prix after Max Verstappen’s last pole before Monza

Qualifying for the 2025 Italian GP at Monza on Saturday showed the differences in how Red Bull and McLaren have set Verstappen and Norris’ cars up for Sunday’s race. While the RB21 packed the punch on the straights, Norris could rotate his MCL39 more easily in the corners.

READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

Verstappen regularly found an edge over Norris on the straights during their tussle for pole, only for the Briton to respond in the bends. The Dutchman regularly had to deal with more understeer in Monza’s corners compared to his rival, but dealing with the pain yielded pole.

Starting Sunday’s race from P1 on the grid marks Red Bull’s first pole since Verstappen took pole for the British Grand Prix this July. Like at Monza, the RB21’s straight-line speed with a low-downforce set-up made the difference at Silverstone to pip McLaren’s Piastri by 0.103s.

Verstappen paid the price for Red Bull’s low-downforce set-up at Silverstone, as rain turned the tables and gave McLaren control. Norris may now have to hope for similar fortune, too, as he won after Piastri’s time penalty for a safety car restart infringement in the British GP.