Charles Leclerc Snaps Max Verstappen's Record-Tying Pole Streak at Monaco GP - Sports Illustrated

For the first time in the last nine Formula One races, a driver other than Max Verstappen will start a grand prix from pole position.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc aced the circuit at his home Monaco Grand Prix during Saturday's qualifying session to beat out the field and earn the top spot on the grid for Sunday's race. Verstappen, who clipped the wall during his final qualifying lap, finished in sixth and will start the race from the third row.

Coming into the Monaco race weekend, Verstappen had qualified on pole eight consecutive times, matching a record set by three-time world champion Ayrton Senna during the 1988 and '89 seasons. The Red Bull driver had posted the fastest time in qualifying for every race dating back to last year's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix until Saturday.

Monaco Grand Prix Preview: All Eyes on Red Bull–McLaren Duel

Leclerc, a Monaco native, faced no easy task to be the quickest around the Monte Carlo circuit. He held off the quick McLaren of Oscar Piastri by 0.154 seconds and his own Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz by 0.248.

Miami Grand Prix winner Lando Norris qualified in fourth followed by Mercedes's George Russell in fifth. After Verstappen in sixth, Lewis Hamilton slotted in seventh for yet another race in 2024, while RB's Yuki Tsunoda impressed once again by earning an eighth-place start. Williams's Alex Albon and Alpine's Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10.

Though Saturday is often times the more consequential session of the race weekend in Monaco due to the difficulty to overtake on the narrow street circuit, Leclerc will still face a tall task come Sunday. In 2022, the Ferrari standout was poised to earn his first victory at his home race, only for a catastrophic pit stop to derail his outing into a fourth-place finish.

Leclerc will look to prevent a similar fate this year and hopes to earn his first victory of the 2024 campaign in front of a loyal home crowd on Sunday.

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2024-05-25 15:45:52Z