FORMULA ONE: Max Verstappen has beaten Fernando Alonso to pole position after an electrifying qualifying session at the Monaco Grand Prix yesterday (May 27).
Current world champion Max Verstappen secured his first ever pole at the Monaco Grand Prix and will start today’s race as favourite. Photo: AFP
Red Bull Racing’s stranglehold on the championship was looser in Monte Carlo than it has been at other circuits thanks to the slow and twisty nature of the track, and the Dutchman needed three laps compared to the usual two to keep him in the fight.
Alonso had taken top spot after the first runs before an early Verstappen second lap had the Dutchman take back control of the lead.
But in the street circuit’s rapidly improving conditions top spot rolled through Esteban Ocon and Charles Leclerc before Alonso set the fastest time again with seconds left on the clock.
But Verstappen had strategised to have a third lap as the final man on track to capitalise on the best of the conditions.
At first the tactic didn’t seem to pay off, with the Dutchman’s last lap more than 0.2 seconds off the pace after two sectors.
But a mesmerising final split, the fastest of the weekend, sensationally turned his deficit into a 0.084-second advantage over the line for his first pole position in Monaco.
“We knew that this was going to be a little bit of a struggle for us this weekend to get everything together,” Verstappen said. “In qualifying you need to go call out and risk it all.
“My first sector wasn’t ideal on my final lap… but then I knew I was behind, so in the last sector I gave it everything I had.”
Having overcome what was forecast to be his biggest difficultly, Verstappen said he just needed a smooth run on Sunday to convert to his second victory in the principality.
“We need a clean start,” he said. “In Monaco a lot of things can happen. There’s always a bit of chaos involved.
“But race pace wise the car is quick. I just need to keep it clean and calm.”
Alonso was denied what would have been a fairytale first pole position since the 2012 German Grand Prix but was satisfied to have extracted the maximum from his Aston Martin machine.
“Obviously pole position means a lot here in Monaco, but today Max was a little bit faster, which was a shame.
“But I think first row on the grid for us is quite a big thing here.”
While it was unexpected pleasure for Verstappen and his surprise pole position at a circuit that doesn’t favour his car, there was nothing but pain for Red Bull Racing teammates Sergio Pérez, who will start the race from last after crashing out of qualifying just six minutes into the session.
The Red Bull Racing driver carried too much speed into the first corner, Sainte Devote, and smacked into the barrier, shattering his rear-left suspension and eliminating himself form the most important qualifying hour of the year.
With overtaking extremely difficult in Monaco, his prospects for any more than minor points are dim.
Charles Leclerc provisionally qualified third but was under investigation last night for blocking Lando Norris at the end of the pole shootout.
The Ferrari driver was travelling slowly in the middle of the road through the tunnel when Norris appeared behind him on a fast lap, forcing the McLaren to slow.
Leclerc is likely to receive a grid drop for the infringement.
Esteban Ocon could then be promoted from a spectacular fourth to a career-best third on the grid for Alpine, the Frenchman having been one of the stars of qualifying on a weekend his team is under pressure to respond to criticism from CEO Laurent Rossi over missed opportunities to score big points.
Carlos Sainz was fifth for Ferrari ahead of Lewis Hamilton, whose set-up gamble ahead of qualifying backfired, leaving him unable to play a role in the right for pole.
Pierre Gasly was seventh in the second Alpine ahead of George Russell in the sister Mercedes and an excellent Yuki Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri.
The blocked Norris qualified 10th, one place ahead of rookie teammate Oscar Piastri.
Under-pressure rookie Nyck de Vries will start 12th ahead of Thai driver Alex Albon in his Williams.
Lance Stroll was a surprisingly out-of-position 14th in his otherwise competitive Aston Martin but was also under investigation after the session for missing a mandatory weighbridge check during qualifying, while Valtteri Bottas will line up 15th for Alfa Romeo.
Logan Sargeant will line up 16th ahead of Haas teammates Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg and Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu.
The crashed Pérez will start at the back of the grid.
