Formula 1: Norris leads McLaren front-row sweep with Monza pole

Lando Norris roared to his second successive pole position, and third in four races, in a McLaren front-row sweep with team mate Oscar Piastri in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix.

George Russell will line up third for Mercedes and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz qualified fourth and fifth for the team's home race with an upgraded car.

Red Bull's Formula One leader Max Verstappen qualified only seventh, one place behind Mercedes' seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton, who had been fastest in final practice.

Verstappen leads Norris by 70 points with nine races remaining but the Briton could take a chunk out of that on Sunday.

"Another pole, which is amazing," said Norris, who qualified fastest also in the Netherlands last Saturday before winning on Sunday.

His time of one minute 19.327 seconds, on a sunny afternoon in the former royal park near Milan, was 0.109 quicker than Piastri's best effort with Russell 0.113 off the pace and Leclerc 0.134.

"To have two cars, first and second, when the field has been as tight as it has been this weekend is surprising," added Norris, who is now targeting his third career win.

"It hurts me to say it, but my lap was not a great lap. However, it was still good enough for pole, so I was surprised, but happy."

Flying lap

Norris was fastest in the first phase of qualifying and secured provisional pole in the top 10 shootout before improving on it with his second flying lap.

Hamilton had been top in the second phase with Verstappen second and Norris third.

Sunday's race at the "Temple of Speed" near Milan could be a tight battle between the top four teams.

McLaren are only 30 points behind champions and leaders Red Bull, who had Sergio Perez qualify eighth after giving Verstappen an aerodynamic tow, and could make significant inroads in that constructors' battle.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said the once-dominant car's balance was off and suffering a lack of grip on a completely resurfaced track, with Verstappen 0.695 off Norris's pole time.

"We need to address it quickly as McLaren have made a significant step over the last few races and we are now behind Ferrari and Mercedes as well," Horner told Sky Sports television.

"Something is clearly not working on the car. There will be an engineering solution to an engineering problem."

Hamilton was also unhappy, chiding himself for a missed opportunity at a circuit where he has won a record-equalling five times.

"I am furious, absolutely furious. I could have been on pole, at least on the front row. I just didn't do the job," said the Ferrari-bound Briton.

"I lost a tenth and a half into Turn One, and then a tenth in the last corner. No one to blame but myself."

Alex Albon qualified ninth for Williams, this time without problems after being disqualified at Zandvoort for having a floor that was too big, and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10 for Haas.

Formula One's Argentine newcomer Franco Colapinto, replacing Logan Sargeant at Williams, qualified 18th and ahead of both Saubers.

Antonelli to replace Hamilton at Mercedes

Meanwhile, Italian Kimi Antonelli will replace seven times Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next season in a deal announced at the 18-year-old's home grand prix.

Team boss Toto Wolff told reporters at Monza he had decided on Antonelli within minutes of Hamilton, 39, informing him last January that he would be moving to Ferrari in 2025.

"Instinctively that is the line-up, with these two, that I always wanted," said the Austrian, who expected "great things" from the youngster but also plenty of mistakes along the way.

Antonelli, who joins race winner George Russell in the lineup, has been competing in Formula Two this year but has been supported by Mercedes since 2019, with a programme of private testing in older cars this year.

He will be the first rookie to drive for Mercedes in 70 years, already a daunting enough prospect without also stepping into the shoes of the most successful driver in the history of the sport.

The announcement came a day after Antonelli, who will also be the most high-profile rookie since Hamilton debuted with McLaren in 2007, crashed Russell's car in his free practice debut at Monza.

"It's not possible to replace Lewis Hamilton, he's such a great figure in the sport of today and he has achieved so much in his career," said the Italian, who will race next season with the number 12.

"I'm just the next driver for Mercedes in '25, so I'm really excited for that."

Wolff had also sounded out Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen about a possible move but the Dutch driver is under contract to the end of 2028 and the overtures came to nothing.

"These two are the future," said Wolff.

"All of our focus in the team is on George and Kimi. There's no discussion, there are no second thoughts about what we're doing in 2026 because now it's about 2024 and 2025."

Antonelli will be the first Italian driver to race in Formula One since Antonio Giovinazzi in 2021 and the first with a top team since Giancarlo Fisichella stood in at Ferrari in 2009.

Fisichella is also the last Italian to win a race, with Renault in 2006.

"Reaching F1 is a dream I've had since I was a small boy... I am still learning a lot, but I feel ready for the opportunity," Antonelli said in the statement announcing his arrival.

"I'm also really excited to become George's team-mate. He came through the team's junior programme just like myself and is someone I have a huge amount of respect for ... I am looking forward to learning from him and working together to deliver on track."

Russell, who will be starting his fourth season at Mercedes, also looked forward to the new pairing.

"I know how much of a support Lewis was for me throughout my time as a junior driver and since I've been his team-mate. I've learned so much from him and I hope to play a similar role for Kimi," he said.

Mercedes have won three races so far this season, Hamilton taking two of them.

- Reuters