Max Verstappen has had to settle for fourth time and starting position in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix.
He will start behind teammate Sergio Perez (third) and a front row of two Ferraris, with Charles Leclerc starting on pole position ahead of Carlos Sainz. The gap between Leclerc and Verstappen was clear: 0.290 seconds.
Important
It is a setback for Verstappen, who complained about a lack of balance in his car and had to give in to his competitors almost the entire qualifying time. The starting position is more important in Monte Carlo than on many other circuits, because it is very difficult to overtake in the narrow streets of the mini-state.
Crash Perez
During qualifying there were no incidents for a long time, until Verstappen’s teammate Perez ended up in the guardrails with his Red Bull in the final phase. Then there was a collision with Sainz, who was driving right behind Perez and could no longer avoid the Mexican car. With little time remaining, the session was not resumed and the man who had set the fastest time at the time, Charles Leclerc, knew he was assured of pole position.
Six performances
Verstappen does not have too many fond memories of previous race weekends in his hometown of Monaco. He has never been on pole position there and has only finished on the podium once in his six appearances so far, although he was on the highest step: last season, when he crossed the finish line first.
World Cup leader
On Sunday, Verstappen will start a race as World Cup leader for the first time this season. After three race wins in a row, the Limburger has a six-point lead over pursuer Leclerc.
Live
The Monaco Grand Prix starts on Sunday at 3 p.m. The race can then be followed live via L1 Radio and the live blog on 1Limburg.
Watch the race preview in L1’s motorsport program Pitlane: