Africa-Press – South-Africa. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc put his Ferrari on pole for tomorrow’s (29 May) Monaco Grand Prix.
The home hero looked poised for the position throughout the weekend and did enough to secure it in front of his adoring fans.
Championship leader Max Verstappen from Red Bull could only manage fourth.
Leclerc and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez traded blows atop the time chart throughout the hour-long session, but the Ferrari ace always seemed to have more in the bag. In the end, Monegasque put clear daylight between him and the rest of the field to secure his second pole position at home.
Leclerc said after qualifying: “I’m so incredibly happy. I knew the pace was in the car. I just knew I had to do the job.”
Late accident
Like last year, the red flags came out in the session’s closing stages. This year, Leclerc was not involved, but his Ferrari teammate, Carlos Sainz was. Heading into the tunnel section, Sainz and Perez made contact, ending both drivers’ final runs prematurely.
For Leclerc, however, it meant that pole position was his, securing the 14th first-place start of his Formula 1 career.
Elsewhere, Verstappen struggled to match the pace of the three drivers ahead of him. He did not challenge any one of Leclerc or Perez in any of the qualifying sessions and looked to be struggling with his car’s balance. His fourth-place start would give him little to cheer about, given the track’s unkindness to overtaking.
READ: WRAP | 2022 Monaco Grand Prix – Charles Leclerc on pole for F1’s grandest race
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both made it to Q3 and will start the race in sixth and eighth, respectively. The Silver Arrows have been struggling for pace throughout the season and looked to Monaco for an improved showing. However, the turn in pace they showed in Spain last week was absent in the Principality.
Russell, who has not finished outside the top five in any race this year so far, will again look to be best-of-the-rest behind the Ferraris and Red Bulls.
The other drivers who make up the top 10 are Lando Norris (fifth), Fernando Alonso (seventh), Sebastian Vettel (ninth), and Esteban Ocon (tenth).
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