Leclerc takes vital pole position for F1 Monaco GP

Charles Leclerc took a crucial pole position on home soil for the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix, with championship leader Max Verstappen struggling to sixth position.

Leclerc hooked his Ferrari up across the Monaco streets better than all his rivals to post an unbeatable 1:10.270s, 0.154s ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in second.

The Monegasque was the form man heading into the session as he was quickest in FP2 and FP3 and had close to two-tenths in hand over a beleaguered Verstappen.

With overtaking nigh-on impossible in Monte Carlo, claiming pole position holds more importance at the Principality than it does at other venues through the calendar.

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That set the stage for an intense battle as the drivers sought to obtain space within the narrow confines to get a clean lap in and secure vital grid position for the race.

Behind pacesetter Leclerc, Mercedes looked strong, with McLaren not too far behind. Despite both Red Bulls ending FP3 inside the top five, neither driver was content.

Leclerc’s Monaco curse is no secret, twice a polesitter but never a race winner or even a podium finisher, and he was dissatisfied with being not in sequence during Q1.

Ferrari sent both its drivers out later in the session and it could have backfired as a bag got caught in Leclerc’s front wing and made him vulnerable to a premature exit.

Meanwhile, Sergio Perez was also in danger as the clock ticked on down, with Piastri outlining McLaren’s pole credentials as he soared to the top of the timing sheets.

However, Leclerc had returned to the track once his unscheduled retreat to the pits had been completed and he then displaced Piastri to go top with a 1:11.653s time.

With Leclerc’s passage into the next stage ensured, the attention turned to those near the bottom of the order as the cars crawled round to prepare for their final runs.

The chance that a big name would fail to make the cut was open, but that would not be Lando Norris as the McLaren driver pumped in a lap that escaped elimination.

However, Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez could not manage to replicate Norris and both exited, with Logan Sargeant splitting the pair but exiting in Q1 once again.

Sauber had been uncompetitive through practice and the Hinwil-based squad’s fortunes failed to improve as Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou locked out the last row.

Meanwhile, George Russell had ended Q1 quickest, making it clear that several drivers had a chance to secure pole, although Q2 would determine who those would be.

Alonso and Perez’s surprise exits meant that more midfield runners had a chance to advance and it was Wlliams’ Alex Albon and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly who capitalised.

Esteban Ocon had been situated inside a position to progress into Q3, but Alpine team-mate Gasly produced a last-gap effort to rise into fifth and eliminate his partner.

Along with Ocon, both Haas cars went out as Nico Hulkenberg was 12th and Kevin Magnussen, incensed that he was told to abandon his last chance to improve, 15th.

Separating the American squad’s two drivers were Daniel Ricciardo in the RB and Lance Stroll as Aston Martin’s struggles to unlock pace from its upgrades continued.

Back at the sharp end, Norris and Verstappen ascended to Q3 as the leading two, but two-tenths was covering the top six as seven teams prepped for the last session.

The opening gambit saw Leclerc gain the initiative with 0.025s in hand over Piastri and 0.150s on Verstappen, settling up a tantalising showdown come the final runs.

Once more, though, it was Leclerc who was the driver who rose to the occasion on the last timed efforts, edging out Piastri, who was unable to bridge his prior deficit.

Carlos Sainz made it a Ferrari one-three, 0.248s behind his Ferrari team-mate, while Lando Norris ensured that Ferrari and McLaren locked out the opening two rows.

Geroge Russell rounded out the top five places in his Mercedes, 0.273s adrift, as Verstappen brushed the wall at Turn 1 on his last lap and slipped back down to sixth.

Lewis Hamilton in the sister Mercedes couldn’t repeat his encouraging practice pace and wound up seventh, despite being 0.351s down on Leclerc’s pole position lap.

Yuki Tsunoda continued to impress for RB as he secured eighth to beat out competition from Albon and Gasly, who attained their maiden Q3 appearances this season.