The Red Bull driver clinched his third pole position of the season after a qualifying session with many twists and turns.
Unsinkable! In Monaco, reigning world champion Max Verstappen once again displayed his steely nerves. At the end of a Q3, which successively saw Esteban Ocon, Charles Leclerc or Fernando Alonso settle on the provisional first place on the grid, it was finally the Red Bull driver who beat his opponents on the last lap to snatch his third pole of the season, Saturday May 27.
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) had to settle for second place by 84 thousandths. The stage local, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), initially expected in third position, was demoted to sixth place. The race marshals accuse him of having “unnecessarily embarrassed” Lando Norris (McLaren), then launched in a fast lap.
Alpine recovers, Pérez in the wall
A penalty, which suits French Esteban Ocon. His Alpine slipped from fourth to third place on the grid. His best position on a starting grid since the GPs of Italy in 2017 and Belgium in 2018.
The Frenchman, who believed for a time to hold the first pole of his career, assured “having let go of all the horses on the last lap as it should (…), it didn’t matter much. We did a very good qualifying, we are happy. It gives us hope for tomorrow.”Sunday, he confided at the microphone of Canal+.
Pierre Gasly will start from seventh position between the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. Lewis Hamilton also limited the breakage after being scared. Passed in extremis in Q1, then in Q2, he will occupy sixth place. George Russell is eighth.
The fate of Max Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Pérez, reminded him that street circuits are unforgiving.
Even to a driver who had managed to tame them at the start of the season, enough for him to be labeled king. Victorious at the Jeddah and Baku Grands Prix, Sergio Perez, who won in Monaco last year, did not pass Q1. His single-seater hit the wall before being evacuated by crane. He will start in last position (20th).