- Oscar Piastri second; Carlos Sainz third
- Champion Max Verstappen down in sixth
Charles Leclerc claimed pole for the Monaco Grand Prix with a consummate lap of the streets of his home race in Monte Carlo for Ferrari. In a tense and unpredictable qualifying session, Leclerc just has the edge over an excellent run by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in second and the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz in third. Max Verstappen struggled for the first time in qualifying this season and could manage only sixth for Red Bull. Lando Russell was fourth for McLaren, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in fifth and seventh for Mercedes.
The final, decisive third of qualifying was too tight to call, with barely a tenth separating the front runners after Q2. Leclerc set the pace on the opening runs, with a 1min 10.418sec-lap, despite saying he felt something moving around his pedals, as he made real strides in the middle sector. Piastri followed him closely just two hundredths down, while Verstappen could manage only third but just one tenth back on what was a messy lap. Leclerc had the banker then and the pressure was on Verstappen to improve on his final run but the pole was still very much up for grabs as the track reached the peak of its grip. The last runs were crucial then, Leclerc went quicker still, while Verstappen touched the wall, his lap had to be aborted and Piastri could not improve and the crowd celebrated as the Monégasque driver brought it home over a tenth clear with a 1min 10.270sec lap.