Monaco Grand Prix: Max Verstappen pips Fernando Alonso to stunning pole as Sergio Perez crashes out early in qualifying

World champion Max Verstappen seized a dramatic late pole in Monaco Grand Prix qualifying to deny Fernando Alonso, but his team-mate Sergio Perez crashed out early and will start at the back of the grid. Verstappen put in a scorching final lap in Q3 to edge out the Spaniard by 0.084 seconds and clinch his 23rd career pole.

Ad Alonso will start second, followed by hometown boy Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and the impressive Esteban Ocon of Alpine, who will start on the second row in fourth place. Monaco Grand PrixVerstappen quickest at Monaco FP2, Leclerc second fastest at home circuitYESTERDAY AT 17:06 Lewis Hamilton had a difficult session, leaving it late to avoid early exits in Q1 and Q2, to finish sixth behind Leclerc’s team-mate Carlos Sainz.

«Very happy, we knew this was going to be a little bit of a struggle to get everything together,» said Verstappen. «Yesterday wasn’t the best start but I think we kept on improving and getting better.

Then in qualifying you know we needed to go all out and risk it. Verstappen quickest at Monaco FP2, Leclerc second fastest at home circuit Hamilton denies Ferrari move talk, says new deal with Mercedes is close F1 to donate €1m to relief fund for Emilia-Romagna flooding »My first sector wasn’t ideal in my final lap, Turn One was a bit cautious, but I know I was behind so the last sector I gave it everything I had, clipped a few barriers but of course very happy to be on pole here for the first time.” Red Bull’s dominance this season has been underlined with four one-two finishes in five races so far, making Perez look like Verstappen’s likeliest rival for the world title.