Monaco GP: Charles Leclerc Takes Pole Over Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton

Charles Leclerc, who is also hailed from the City, won his first pole of the season for Ferrari at the Monaco Grand Prix qualifying while Red Bull's Max Verstappen came second. 

Finishing the race was dramatic for the Monegasque who crashed his car into the wall, yet was able to edge out his competitor, Verstappen, by 0.24s to claim the pole. Lecerc was in his best form from the first quarter through to the last quarter of the session.

Mercedes for the first time season will have Lewis Hamilton will be starting from seventh in the final - it is the lowest the Briton has ever gone this season. However, his teammate Valtteri Bottas finished third behind Verstappen.

"It is a shame to finish in the wall," he recalled the accident. "It doesn't feel the same but at the same time I am incredibly happy about my first timed lap.

The incident occurred because the he misjudge the turn at the swimming pool section and clipped the wall in an attempt to avoid a crash, then ran over a b that ultimately led to him losing control of his wheel and dashed into the wall.  

Unlike previous races, Hamilton had a sloppy performance which he blamed on his tyres that impeded his pace. He is faced with massive challenge to defend the race he won in 2019 - there was not race in Monaco last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.