Charles Leclerc thrills home support with pole at Monaco Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc delighted his home crowd by securing pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix on Saturday.

The Ferrari driver, born and raised on Monte Carlo’s famous streets, held his nerve to deliver an almighty lap under pressure as teammate Carlos Sainz joined him on the front row.

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez will start third, with Max Verstappen, who leads Leclerc by six points in the championship standings, fourth.

“It is very special,” said Leclerc. “I am so incredibly happy. It has been a very smooth weekend. I knew the pace was in the car and I just had to do the job.”

Rain is forecast to hit Sunday’s race, but Leclerc added: “Dry weather is more predictable but whatever comes, we are competitive so we will be fine.”

The running was red-flagged with 30 seconds remaining when Perez spun into the wall on the entrance to the tunnel with Sainz then collecting the Mexican’s Red Bull.

Lewis Hamilton finished a disappointing eighth, two places behind George Russell in the other Mercedes.

Lando Norris has been battling tonsillitis this weekend, but the British driver qualified an impressive fifth in his McLaren.

Leclerc put his Ferrari on pole last year before crashing out in the final moments of qualifying. The damage sustained in the accident meant he was unable to start the race.

But fast-forward 12 months and the 24-year-old will begin Sunday’s 78-lap race as the firm favourite to take to the top step of the podium, and possibly usurp Verstappen as the championship leader, with 13 of the last 20 races staged here won from the front.

QUALIFYING REPORT: Dominant Leclerc takes his fifth pole of the season #MonacoGP #F1 https://t.co/YM5cb10ajr

Leclerc beat Sainz to top spot by more than two tenths, while Verstappen was three