The streets of Monte Carlo once again delivered a qualifying spectacle, with McLaren’s Lando Norris snatching a record-breaking pole position in the final seconds, but among the front-row drama and the fierce midfield battles, it was New Zealand’s Liam Lawson who quietly wrote a milestone chapter of his own.
The Kiwi racer powered his way into Q3 for the first time this season, eventually securing 9th on the grid for Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix, lining up on the fifth row alongside Alex Albon.
Q1:
The session began with Lawson setting an early benchmark of 1:12.946, putting him ahead of big names like Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, and his teammate, Isack Hadjar.
While Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz quickly displaced him with quicker laps, Lawson stayed in the fight. He delivered another strong lap to go 5th fastest at one stage, just under seven-tenths off Leclerc’s top time of 1:12.091.
As McLaren turned up the heat with Norris and Piastri trading blows at the top, Norris posting a stunning 1:11.596 before Piastri reclaimed P1 with a 1:11.385, Lawson remained composed.
Despite falling to 16th late in the session, he pulled off a crucial lap under pressure to go 9th fastest, a vital effort that pushed Pierre Gasly into the drop zone.
Yuki Tsunoda narrowly edged Lawson by two-hundredths of a second, but the Kiwi was safely through in 12th.
A red flag caused by Kimi Antonelli’s brush with the wall curtailed final laps for several drivers, but both Racing Bulls made it into Q2, with Hadjar just ahead of Lawson in 11th.
Among those eliminated were Bortoleto, Bearman, Gasly, Stroll, and Colapinto.
Q2:
Q2 began with Leclerc setting the pace at 1:11.314, but Norris quickly retook command at 1:10.959. In the tightest of margins, Lawson delivered one of his most significant laps of the season, going 5th fastest and slotting himself into the top half of the leaderboard, a major statement on a track where precision is everything.
The drama unfolded when George Russell ground to a halt in the tunnel, bringing out the red flag and ending both Mercedes drivers’ qualifying hopes.
Once the session resumed, the field prepared for a frantic final push. Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton traded fast laps before Norris again took control with a blistering 1:10.570. Verstappen, Albon, and Piastri followed close behind.
But for Kiwi fans, the moment came as Lawson held firm in the top 10, finishing Q2 in 9th and clinching his first Q3 appearance of the season.
The effort not only reinforced Racing Bulls’ impressive Monaco form, and both cars advanced into the final session, but it also marked a personal breakthrough for Lawson on the most prestigious qualifying stage.
Q3:
With the final session underway, Piastri laid down a 1:10.531 as the benchmark, but it was quickly eclipsed by his teammate Norris with a 1:10.464. As the McLarens fought amongst themselves, Leclerc lurked close behind, looking to snatch pole on home soil for the second consecutive year.
The final minutes were a tension-filled chess match. Norris went purple in Sector 1, Piastri responded in Sector 2, and the two McLaren men were separated by just 0.015 seconds.
Hamilton launched himself to third, but Leclerc responded with a lap good enough for provisional pole.
Yet Norris had the final say—delivering a 1:09.954 to steal the pole and set a new Monaco track record.
Lawson remained composed in the chaos of flying laps and changing positions. He ended Q3 in 9th, 1.175 seconds off pole, but with the significant satisfaction of a top-10 start at Formula 1’s crown jewel.
He’ll share the fifth row with Alex Albon, while his teammate Hadjar starts from a sensational sixth.
Lawson’s qualifying performance is his strongest of the season and perhaps his most assured since joining Formula 1 full-time.
Qualifying – Top 10
- Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:09.954
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.109
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.175
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +0.428
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +0.715
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – +0.969
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +0.970
- Esteban Ocon (Haas) – +0.988
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – +1.175
- Alex Albon (Williams) – +1.259
Although Hamilton qualified fourth, he has since been given a 3-place grid penalty for impeding Verstappen during qualifying. He will now start from 7th on the grid, moving Verstappen, Hadjar and Alonso up.
Lawson’s climb into Q3 in Monte Carlo is more than just a stat—it’s a statement. The young Kiwi has found his mojo again.
Header Image: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
