Home favourite Charles Leclerc claims Monaco F1 GP pole for

Oscar Piastri second; Carlos Sainz thirdChampion Max Verstappen down in sixth

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.