Monaco Grand Prix: Pole with Verstappen

Sunny. Dry. Air +24…26С, rail +50…45С

Qualifying in Monaco is the most important session of the weekend. Overtaking on a narrow track is almost impossible, the place at the finish depends on the starting position and strategy. At the same time, the pole winner is vulnerable to ‘cutting’ – in the last twenty years, the driver who started first has won here only nine times.

On a short lap the results are always tight, the battle is for every tenth. The desire to win back a little more makes you take risks and sometimes leads to an accident – in Monaco the line between success and failure is very thin and qualifying is one of the most interesting of the season.

All three practices were interrupted by red flags. On Friday Verstappen was in the lead, he also showed the best time on Saturday morning, but the rivals were very close.

In the first session very hindered traffic. The riders worked in a series of laps: fast – slow – fast, trying to ensure a comfortable interval for them.

In the eighth minute, red flags appeared – Perez crashed the car in the first corner. The driver was not injured, but the car collided with the left side of the barrier at high speed and froze in the middle of the track.

The car was quickly evacuated, but the repair of the barrier took time. After 10 minutes the riders left again.

Piastri hit the wall without affecting the car. Verstappen left a fragment of an aerodynamic body kit on the crash barrier. Hamilton was given a lap void for cutting the chicane.

Verstappen led the scoresheet with a lap time of 1:12.386. The first ten fit into five tenths. Sargent, Magnussen, Hulkenberg, Zhou and Perez fell out of contention.

In the second session Verstappen immediately set a new benchmark – 1:12.038.

Tsunoda jammed the tires on the brakes before the chicane and aborted the attempt. Stroll did not turn up the FIA ​​scales as he passed. Ocon hooked into the guardrail in the first corner without any consequences for the car.

On the second attempt, Verstappen added – 1:11.908. Norris hooked onto the barrier at the exit of the chicane and crashed into the wall at turn 12, but managed to make it to the pits.

Piastri, de Vries, Albon, Stroll and Bottas failed to qualify for the final.

In the final on the first attempt, Alonso showed the best time – 1:11.706, three hundredths ahead of Sainz, who took second place.

At the second attempt, Verstappen led the scoresheet with 1:11.654, but first Ocon drove faster – 1:11.553, then Leclerc – 1:11.471, followed by Alonso – 1:11.449, but Max retook the lead – 1:11.365.

Max Verstappen won qualifying for Monaco with his first pole position in the Principality, third of the season and 23rd of his career.

Verstappen and Alonso will start from the front row, Leclerc and Ocon from the second, Sainz and Hamilton from the third row.

Qualifying results