Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc clinched pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix, outpacing McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and teammate Carlos Sainz in a thrilling home-soil qualifying session.
Charles Leclerc delivered a masterclass in qualifying at his home Grand Prix in Monaco, expertly navigating through Q1 and Q2 before unleashing his full potential in Q3. The Monegasque driver posted an initial time of 1m 10.418s, only to outdo himself with a scintillating 1m 10.270s – a time no competitor could match.
Oscar Piastri came closest, securing a remarkable second place for McLaren, ahead of Carlos Sainz and teammate Lando Norris. Meanwhile, reigning world champion Max Verstappen faced a tough blow, hitting the wall at Sainte Devote on his final lap and ending up sixth, breaking his streak of eight consecutive pole positions.
Verstappen’s setback leaves him with significant ground to cover on race day. Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton will flank him on the grid in fifth and seventh respectively. Notable performances in Q3 included Yuki Tsunoda for RB, Alex Albon for Williams, and Pierre Gasly for Alpine.
Esteban Ocon narrowly missed the Q2 cut, placing 11th in the second Alpine, while Nico Hulkenberg, who briefly led early in Q1, settled for 12th. Daniel Ricciardo managed 13th, with Tsunoda leading the charge for RB. Lance Stroll of Aston Martin and Kevin Magnussen of Haas rounded out the Q2 qualifiers.
The dramatic first qualifying phase saw several traffic-related incidents and fierce battles for track position, ultimately claiming two high-profile victims: Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez, who will start 16th and 18th respectively.
Logan Sargeant will line up between Alonso and Perez in his Williams, while Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu concluded the session as the slowest runners, continuing their challenging weekend at the back of the field.
As the grid lines up for Sunday’s Grand Prix, all eyes will be on Leclerc to see if he can convert his pole position into a triumphant victory on the iconic streets of Monaco.
