Lando Norris broke the pole record in Monaco and drove unchallenged to victory in the Principality. With this win, he joins a select group and significantly intensifies the title race. Foreign media are full of praise, but there is also criticism of the new rule requiring two mandatory pit stops.
Lando Norris has won the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix for the first time in his career. This places him in a select group of only six other British drivers, an honor roll that dates back to Stirling Moss. Unsurprisingly, the British press, led by the Daily Mail, is full of praise for their compatriot. They see his victory as a turning point in the fight for the world championship. “A fine performance restored Norris to winning ways after his loss of faith in the face of Oscar Piastri‘s explosive rise to the championship lead. But the Australian’s advantage has been reduced to three points, his weekend lacking the rhythm and certainty of Norris’s,” writes the journalist on duty. “Norris has cut a determined figure in recent days, his demeanor more relaxed than of late. For the first time in a while, he sounded, to a barely perceptible degree, like a man on the verge of a revitalizing victory, his second of the season after a nervous wait since Melbourne two months ago.”
‘A Day as Prince of F1’
The Italians from La Gazzetta dello Sport also pay extensive attention to Norris’s victory. The sports newspaper sees that the title fight is far from decided and rewards the Brit with the highest grade: an 8. “Finally a day as prince of F1. Perfect and flawless. And without ever trembling, even when he was in the grip of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in the final, a mastiff ready to bite him and take advantage of any mistake. Victory born with a magical pole that brings him to 3 points from Piastri. The McLaren challenge is heating up.”
‘Monaco Remains Monaco’
French sports newspaper L’Équipe primarily focuses on the new rule of two mandatory pit stops for the Monaco Grand Prix. “Even if we were to make ten stops, it wouldn’t work,” the paper begins with a telling quote from Max Verstappen. “The unlikely rule of the mandatory double stop promised miracles that never appeared. As is often the case, the order of arrival was the same as the order of departure. Monaco remains Monaco, with all its flaws.”
Belgium also targets the dull procession that is Monaco, despite Norris (whose mother is Belgian) and Verstappen (born in Hasselt) having a clear connection with the country. “First, Alex Albon was allowed to benefit from Carlos Sainz‘s snail’s pace, then they swapped positions to do the same thing again,” writes Sporza. “Meanwhile, they also switched to alternative tactics at the front to get something done. Max Verstappen, as the leader with one pit stop less, was hoping for a red flag to be gifted the victory.” The sports medium is nuanced in its judgment of Lando Norris‘s victory. “He did lock his brakes in the first corner, but he kept Charles Leclerc behind him. That was half the job done in Monaco.” Sporza concludes with the cynical words: “Next week, the F1 drivers in Spain can step on the gas again. Without deliberate holding back and without flexiwings.”
