Lando Norris explains McLaren 'risk' after record-breaking Monaco pole

Lando Norris has explained why McLaren's unusual strategy in Monaco Grand Prix qualifying held "no risk" as he grabbed pole position. 

Norris's time of a 1:09.954 on his third Q3 flying lap is the first-ever lap in Monaco to break the 70s mark and is the team's first pole in the Principality since Fernando Alonso in 2007, a race he won. 

For Norris, who has had the edge over team-mate Oscar Piastri all weekend, it is his first pole since the season-opener in Australia, with a 0.175s gap to Piastri in third. 

To get it, McLaren ran twice at the end of Q3, giving both drivers two laps to set times, with 0.015s between the two after their initial runs, before Norris's massive improvement on the second lap. 

Reflecting on his effort, Norris explained the 'zero-risk' behind McLaren's strategy. 

"It has been a long time coming, I feel good," Norris explained.

"I've had quite a few struggles over the past couple of months, and Monaco is probably the hardest track to do it at, especially against the hometown hero. 

"We've worked a lot over the last few months to get a day like today, but there was no risk from our side.

"It was what we believed was best before qualifying, and it is what has proven to be best afterwards, so we stuck to what we believed in. 

"You are consistently trying to find lap-time because others are improving more and more, and you've got to take a similar amount of risks, but when you get to the final Q3 lap, it is just about who can risk a little bit more and commit more.

When they questioned about the mandated two-stop strategy, Norris replied that he "honestly had no idea, and at the minute, I don't care, I am just going to enjoy today, and I've worked hard for it."