Italian GP: Norris And Piastri Lock Out Front Row For McLaren As Verstappen Struggles In Qualifying

The Formula 1 title race just might be back on after all.

Lando Norris surged into pole position in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix on Saturday and will be hoping to cut further into Max Verstappen’s championship lead after a bad day for the Red Bull driver.

McLaren, which is also looking to reduce the gap in the constructors’ standings behind Red Bull, locked out the front of the grid for Sunday's race at Monza as Norris finished 0.109 seconds ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri.

Verstappen will start in seventh on a circuit where overtaking is tricky. That offers Norris the chance to continue to chip away at the three-time defending champion's advantage in the drivers’ standings — which is down to 70 points, with nine races left.

“For sure it’s a good opportunity,” Norris said. "I expect (Verstappen) to come through and probably be behind us quite quickly. Their race pace looked very strong on Friday ... for some reason they just didn’t seem to take those steps forward through qualifying.

“Even his gap to Perez wasn’t as big as what it normally is so I don’t know if he just struggled more with something or just didn’t put good enough laps in but it’ll be for a reason I’m sure and we need to try and make the most of that.”

Norris achieved back-to-back poles for the first time, and his fifth pole overall. He won from the front of the grid last weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix.

“Another pole, which is amazing," he said. "To have two cars first and second when the field is as tight as it has been all weekend is a surprise, but a nice one. My lap, it hurts me to say, wasn’t a great lap. So a bit surprised at the end but very happy.”

Given Red Bull's recent difficulties, Norris could have been even closer to Verstappen in the standings had he not listened to team orders and let Piastri win in Hungary.

The McLaren duo were asked if Piastri would be told to do the same in the remaining races.

“That's our Sunday morning meeting,” Norris said with a laugh. “It’s a little bit been discussed already, but at the minute it’s free to race, like it always is.”

The top six in qualifying at the ‘Temple of Speed’ were separated by less than two-tenths of a second.

Mercedes driver George Russell will start third, just ahead of the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Lewis Hamilton will be sixth on the grid in his last time racing at Monza as a Mercedes driver before his move to Ferrari at the end of the season.

There was then a much bigger gap to the Red Bulls, as Verstappen was 0.695 behind Norris and just ahead of teammate Sergio Perez.

Verstappen is without a victory in five races, his longest winless run since 2020.

“As a team we are concerned by our form but more than that it is confusing," Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said. "We will work hard overnight to try and understand it, but it gives us a tough race tomorrow.”

Alex Albon and Nicolas Hülkenberg rounded out the top 10.

Williams debutant Franco Colapinto was eliminated in Q1 in his first F1 qualifying session and will start 18th.