Marko gives rare commendation for 'cool' Lando Norris.

      Dr. Helmut Marko has offered some rare commendation towards Lando Norris, the pole sitter for Monaco. Norris, the former leader of the championship in 2025, expressed relief at achieving P1 on Saturday after struggling for "a couple of months" with his otherwise strong McLaren. Interviewers noticed a shift in the 25-year-old's demeanor post-qualification, as he appeared cool and composed instead of overly thrilled with success or self-critical in defeat.

      "That's not the case," Norris responded when it was pointed out that his approach seemed to have changed. "I’m happy. That doesn’t mean I have to show emotion. What do you expect me to do—yell?"

      Ahead of the Monaco race, Red Bull advisor Marko mentioned that if Max Verstappen couldn’t secure a win from pole, the ideal scenario would be for Norris to regain his form, allowing him and teammate Oscar Piastri to continue vying for points against each other. Norris fulfilled the expectation of returning to form, but Marko was less than pleased.

      "The gap to pole position is impressive," the Austrian remarked. "I am surprised negatively. However, I am impressed with McLaren. Norris did a fantastic job; he remained composed and delivered well. The race could be unpredictable, but that’s typical for Monte Carlo," he noted with a smile.

      "Unexpected events can arise now that everyone has to make two pit stops, but there's nothing we can do about that. When you’re in the lead, you can influence what occurs. It depends on the pace McLaren maintains during the race and when we may have a safety car. In that case, the entire field will pit. Overtaking remains nearly impossible, even if you’re four seconds faster. The Formula 2 race with our (Arvid) Lindblad demonstrated that."

      A crucial factor for Verstappen’s chances, as he starts behind Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari on Sunday, will be the intensity of the fights between the two McLaren drivers competing for the title. A prudent strategy for the team could be to issue 'hold station' team orders, but McLaren executives appear hesitant to intervene for now, partly due to reports that both Norris and Piastri have contracts assuring them equal status as number one.

      When championship leader Piastri was asked if he would consider sacrificing a win to support a Norris victory for the team, he took a long pause before responding, "How much are you going to pay me?" He then added, "I want to win the race too. So let’s see how it unfolds. I expect it to be quite a chaotic race, but we’ll see what happens."