Charles Leclerc vs Lando Norris: F1 telemetry comparison and analysis of Monaco GP qualifying. Lando Norris clinched pole at the Monaco GP by outpacing Charles Leclerc in the final corners.

The qualifying session we just witnessed was, as always in Monaco, among the most intense of the entire championship. With a true masterpiece from Charles Leclerc, Ferrari was back competing at the front. Lando Norris snatched pole from him by just over a tenth, but up until the penultimate corner, Charles Leclerc held the fastest time.

The SF-25 did not particularly suffer in terms of traction and performance in the slower sections—weaknesses that have often hindered the 2025 project—but this improvement was largely due to the layout of the track, which masked many of the car’s shortcomings.

Where Charles Leclerc made the difference
Ferrari showed fewer of its usual issues but still wasn’t quite at McLaren’s level, which was able to carry more speed into Sainte Devote and exploit superior traction to gain a small advantage.

Charles Leclerc’s masterpiece came in the uphill section towards the Casino: he tackled that sequence of corners faster than Norris and incredibly managed to offset the lack of traction in the following corners, such as the Grand Hotel hairpin—the slowest corner on the calendar.

The SF-25 performed well in traction heading into the tunnel and, as seen since the beginning of the season, demonstrated good aerodynamic efficiency, allowing it to gain in top speed and helping it to hold off Norris.

In Turn 12, the Tabac corner, Lando Norris’s McLaren behaved better, as it did in the following turns, but the margin of gain was small and Leclerc still held the advantage. Coming out of the Swimming Pool section, Leclerc showed significantly greater acceleration speed, extending his advantage to just over a tenth.

Where Lando Norris secured pole
But it was the final two corners—Rascasse and Anthony Noghes—that made the difference: Lando Norris was able to carry more speed on entry and, above all, benefit from superior traction, gaining the decisive two tenths that allowed him to surpass Charles Leclerc in the standings.

Ferrari can still be satisfied, also thanks to a strong result from Lewis Hamilton, whose qualifying performance exceeded expectations. In Maranello, they are aware that the peculiar nature of the circuit partially masked the car’s limitations, but the team nonetheless made significant progress in data correlation and weekend management.