Dutchman Max Verstappen took the fastest time in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix and on Sunday he will start from the top of the grid the sixth round of the Formula 1 season. For Red Bull it was a day of contrasts, since its other driver, the Mexican Sergio Pérez, suffered a major accident during Q1 and because of this he must start last.
In an infartante definition, the two-time world champion nailed the best record of the day when all his competitors had already completed their laps and were waiting for the last attempt: he needed 1: 11.365 to travel the 3,337 meters of the street circuit and thus signed his third pole position of the year and the 23rd in his career.
The leader of the championship surpassed by just 84 thousandths the Spanish Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), who was one step away from getting a pole that has been denied him for almost 11 years (the last was in Germany on July 21, 2012), and by 106 thousandths to the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari).
Max Verstappen shows off the tyre with which he was awarded for having obtained pole position in Monaco. Photo: Piroschka van de Wouw / Reuters.
"We knew this weekend was going to be a bit tricky for us. We didn't have the best start, but the car was getting better and better. In the classification you have to go all or nothing. On the last lap, the first sector was not ideal, I knew I was behind, so on the last one I had to give everything. I hit the barrier, but I had to do it to get pole," Verstappen explained.
Alonso, one of the crowd favourites, regretted the opportunity that had eluded him in this qualifying, but was optimistic about his chances in the race. "Pole means a lot here, but today Max was a little bit faster. We will have to work on the strategy for tomorrow. If we have a good start, maybe we have a chance," he said.
Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso talk after a hard-fought qualifying in Monaco. Photo: Luca Bruno/AP.
Behind the vanguard trio were Frenchman Esteban Ocon (Alpine), Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), Briton Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Alpine), Britain's George Russell (Mercedes), Japan's Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) and Britain's Lando Norris (McLaren).
Far from the fight for the leading positions was Verstappen's escort in the championship, his teammate Sergio Pérez, who suffered a strong crash during the first minutes of Q1, when he tried to make his second fastest lap of the run.
The Mexican arrived past turn 1, located in front of the Sainte Dévote chapel, lost grip, went tail and ended up crashing into the retaining wall. Although the driver was uninjured, his vehicle was badly damaged on its left side.
Red flags were immediately displayed and the run was stopped so that the crane could remove the Red Bull. The activity was stopped for 10 minutes until the route was put in conditions so that the cars could circulate again. Perez was left with a meager record of 1: 13.850 that will condemn him from the last place on the grid.
Ahead of the Mexican will start the Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren), the Dutch Nyck De Vries (AlphaTauri), the Thai Alexander Albon (Williams), the Canadian Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), the Finnish Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo), the American Logan Sargeant (Williams), the Danish Kevin Magnussen (Haas), the German Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) and the Chinese Zhou Guanyo (Alfa Romeo).
The Monaco Grand Prix, which will cover 78 laps of the glamorous street layout, will be held on Sunday from 10 a.m.
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