News Summary
- Lando Norris qualified ninth for the Italian GP but will start eighth after Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s power-unit penalty.
- The McLaren driver said the car’s pace “wasn’t that bad”, despite admitting it was not fast enough to fight at the front.
- Norris blamed his qualifying position largely on traffic and bad luck, while also highlighting a braking issue that affected his confidence.
Lando Norris rejected the idea that McLaren’s disappointing qualifying result at the Italian GP was simply down to a lack of pace or a braking problem, arguing instead that traffic and bad luck played a major role in his Saturday at Monza.
The reigning Formula 1 World Champion posted a best time of 1:22.256 in Q3, initially putting him ninth on the grid. However, Antonelli’s back-of-the-grid penalty for taking multiple Mercedes power-unit components moves Norris up to eighth for Sunday’s race.
Oscar Piastri, George Russell, Max Verstappen and both Ferrari and Alpine drivers remain ahead of Norris, leaving the McLaren driver with a difficult task if he is to fight for the podium.
McLaren had arrived at Monza after consecutive victories for Norris in Hungary and the Netherlands, with the Italian GP representing a major test of whether the MCL40 could carry that momentum to a very different type of circuit. Andrea Stella had already identified Monza as a key benchmark because of its long straights and heavy braking zones.
McLaren also introduced its own version of the “Macarena” rear wing, designed to reduce drag and improve aerodynamic efficiency on Monza’s long straights. Both Norris and Piastri received the new component.
Norris says braking issue was not the decisive factor
Norris admitted that the brakes affected his confidence, particularly when approaching Monza’s opening chicanes, but insisted the problem was not ultimately responsible for his qualifying result.
“I was braking and the car was pulling one way, and that’s not what you want at a circuit where you need confidence in the brakes to get into the first two chicanes. It improved a little bit, but it was still a problem. Still, it wasn’t the cause of anything; we just didn’t get lucky today,” Norris told Sky Sports.
The Briton then explained that his biggest frustration came from the circumstances surrounding his position on track.
“I don’t think the pace was that bad. We certainly weren’t fast enough, but at the same time, the position I had on the first Q2 run basically made that lap a wasted lap. So, in a way, I didn’t get lucky and just had to accept it. It’s kind of the price we pay for being the world champions,” he said.
The layout of the McLaren garage means the team sits at the front of the pit lane queue when cars are released for qualifying, leaving Norris and Piastri among the first drivers to head onto the circuit.
“There isn’t much you can do about it. We’re first in the pit lane, so we don’t have much to complain about. We knew it was going to be difficult, and that’s exactly how it ended up.”
The result nevertheless leaves McLaren with a more challenging starting position than expected after Norris had won the previous two Grands Prix. His back-to-back victories had turned the Woking team into a serious threat to Mercedes in the championship fight.
Norris expects a difficult race without a tow
Looking ahead to Sunday’s race, Norris acknowledged that McLaren’s straight-line performance could make overtaking particularly difficult.
“We need to see how we can do the race. To start with, we’re not the best on the straights and, therefore, without a tow, we’re lost. So, we’ll see.”
Norris nevertheless praised Pierre Gasly after the Alpine driver secured his maiden F1 pole position at Monza. Gasly’s 1:21.786 was enough to beat George Russell by 0.060s and put Alpine at the front of the grid for the Italian GP.
“But it’s an interesting grid and, of course, congratulations to Pierre [Gasly]. He did a very good job, so he deserved it.”
Norris’ eighth-place starting position puts him behind both Ferraris, both Alpines, Russell and Verstappen, while Piastri will start sixth after his three-place penalty. The McLaren pair therefore face an immediate challenge to recover positions in a race where overtaking could be heavily influenced by straight-line speed and slipstream.
The result also provides an early indication of the challenge McLaren faces at Monza after the team had looked so dominant at the high-downforce circuits of Hungary and Zandvoort. Norris remains fourth in the 2026 Drivers’ Championship with 159 points, while Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the standings.
McLaren confirms Macarena wing debut at 2026 Italian GP — the latest technical development brought by the team to Monza.
Piastri says McLaren “doesn’t have the pace” to beat rivals at Monza — Norris’ teammate had already warned on Friday that McLaren needed to find more performance.
GRANDE PRÊMIO follows all the action from the Italian GP, the 13th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season.
FAQ
1. Where will Lando Norris start the 2026 Italian GP?
Norris will start eighth at Monza after Andrea Kimi Antonelli was handed a back-of-the-grid penalty for exceeding his power-unit component allocation.
2. What went wrong for Lando Norris in Italian GP qualifying?
Norris said the McLaren’s pace was not as poor as the final result suggested. He highlighted a braking issue, but mainly pointed to traffic, track position and what he described as bad luck during qualifying.
3. Can McLaren fight for the podium at Monza?
McLaren faces a difficult task from eighth and sixth on the grid, particularly because Norris believes the MCL40 is not among the strongest cars on the straights. Race pace, slipstream and strategy will therefore be crucial.
