Home favourite Charles Leclerc claims Monaco F1 GP pole for Ferrari

Charles Leclerc claimed pole for the Monaco Grand Prix with a consummate lap of the streets of his home race in Monte Carlo for Ferrari. In a tense and unpredictable qualifying session, Leclerc just has the edge over an excellent run by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in second and the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz in third. Max Verstappen struggled for the first time in qualifying this season and could manage only sixth for Red Bull. Lando Russell was fourth for McLaren, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in fifth and seventh for Mercedes.

The final, decisive third of qualifying was too tight to call, with barely a tenth separating the front runners after Q2. Leclerc set the pace on the opening runs, with a 1min 10.418sec-lap, despite saying he felt something moving around his pedals, as he made real strides in the middle sector. Piastri followed him closely just two hundredths down, while Verstappen could manage only third but just one tenth back on what was a messy lap. Leclerc had the banker then and the pressure was on Verstappen to improve on his final run but the pole was still very much up for grabs as the track reached the peak of its grip. The last runs were crucial then, Leclerc went quicker still, while Verstappen touched the wall, his lap had to be aborted and Piastri could not improve and the crowd celebrated as the Monégasque driver brought it home over a tenth clear with a 1min 10.270sec lap.

With the current generation of F1 cars so wide and so heavy, overtaking at Monaco has become all but a distant dream and qualifying has assumed absolutely vital importance. The single lap test on the narrow streets under the looming walls of the principality remains a gripping and intense sporting challenge, more often than not a greater spectacle than the race itself and the most captivating Saturday running of the year.

Perhaps no other qualifying session of the entire season is of such import and the drivers know it. Putting the car on the edge and pushing it to the very limit while staying within inches of the barriers is an immense test and Leclerc had it nailed on Saturday, threading the needle in Monte Carlo at the 70th F1 race to be held here with extraordinary verve. The place is sealed and with it the genuine advantage that should be converted to victory on Sunday but nothing is a given.

This is Leclerc’s third pole at Monaco and his first since he took the top spot at Las Vegas last year. It is a race he has still yet to win as he looks to end what has become known as Leclerc’s Monaco “curse”. He has still not managed to finish on the podium in his five previous appearances at his home race. In 2021, he was on pole but a crash in qualifying damaged his driveshaft and the car was retired before the race began. Then in 2022, once more starting from the front of the grid, Ferrari blew his chances with a miscalled strategy.

He will be looking on Sunday to end the curse and become the first Monégasque driver to win at home since the world championship began in 1950.

It is a shot in the arm for the 26-year-old with his 24th career pole and Ferrari too will take heart from how well they performed, while this is the first time Verstappen has been denied the top spot this season. He has struggled with the car’s handling all weekend and this ends his run of eight consecutive poles, a record that equalled Ayrton Senna’s tally.

Alex Albon was a superb ninth for Williams and Yuki Tsunoda in eighth for RB, with Pierre Gasly in 10th for Alpine.

Esteban Ocon was in 11th for Alpine, Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen in 12th and 15th for Haas, Daniel Ricciardo in 13th for RB and Lance Stroll in 14th for Aston Martin.

Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez, who is fighting for his seat with the team next season, suffered a shocker, going out in 18th place in Q1. Fernando Alonso was in 16th for Aston Martin, Logan Sargeant 17th for Williams with Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou in 19th and 20th for Sauber.