Charles Leclerc has confirmed his strong training impressions and secured pole position at the Monaco Grand Prix. World champion Max Verstappen did not make it to the front row in qualifying on Saturday (May 25, 2024).
Leclerc from Monaco drove the fastest lap on the Monaco street circuit in 1:10.270 minutes. The Australian Oscar Piastri will surprisingly be next to him in the race on Sunday in a McLaren (+0.154 seconds). Third place went to the second Ferrari driver, Carlos Sainz (+0.248 seconds). World Championship leader and defending champion Verstappen (+0.297 seconds) had to settle for sixth place in the Red Bull.
In the eighth race of the season on Sunday (from 3 p.m. in the live center of sportschau.de), Leclerc is now aiming for his first victory at home: in five attempts he has never managed to do so in Formula 1. On the narrow street circuit in Monaco, pole position is particularly important, but it is no guarantee of victory. Leclerc himself had already started from first place in his hometown in 2021 and 2022. “The emotions here are much more intense than elsewhere. I am very, very happy, but I know that qualifying is not everything,” said Leclerc: “In the race, everything has to come together, and we have not always managed that recently.”
Nico Hülkenberg finished qualifying in 12th place. However, the Haas driver was still threatened with a penalty: in the second part of the session, he had disrupted a fast lap by Esteban Ocon (Alpine) by driving slowly.
