Leclerc Grabs Monaco Pole, Ends Verstappen's Streak

Charles Leclerc of Ferrari secured a thrilling pole position at his home Monaco Grand Prix, ending Max Verstappen's streak of seven consecutive poles. Leclerc's lap time of 1:10.270 seconds was 0.154 seconds faster than McLaren's Oscar Piastri.

Verstappen, the championship leader, struggled with his Red Bull and could only manage sixth fastest after hitting the barriers on his final lap. Leclerc's pole position was his third at Monaco and ended Verstappen's record-equalling run of eight straight poles.

Leclerc's Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz, finished third, followed by Lando Norris in the second McLaren, George Russell in the Mercedes, and Verstappen. Piastri, who impressed in qualifying, said he was close to pole position but missed out due to a split lap.

Sainz admitted to struggling with confidence in the car but was pleased with his improvement. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton finished seventh in the second Mercedes, ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, Alex Albon, and Pierre Gasly.

The qualifying session was fiercely contested, with the top 14 drivers separated by less than a second. Sergio Perez of Red Bull and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin were among the notable drivers to miss out on Q3.

In Q2, the Alpines impressed with Gasly securing a place in Q3. Piastri and Norris led the way for McLaren, while Esteban Ocon, Nico Hulkenberg, Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll, and Kevin Magnussen were eliminated.

In the top ten shootout, Leclerc set a blistering pace, clocking a time of 1:10.418. Sainz and Verstappen attempted to challenge but fell short. Hamilton improved to fourth, while Russell finished fifth.

Leclerc's pole position was a significant moment for Ferrari, marking their 250th pole position in Formula One. The Monegasque driver will be hoping to convert his pole into a victory on Sunday, a feat he has yet to achieve at his home race.

Tags: #MonacoGP, #CharlesLeclerc, #MaxVerstappen, #PolePosition, #FormulaOne