F1 Monaco GP: Leclerc claims Monaco pole after Q3 crash, Hamilton seventh
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc claimed pole for Formula 1’s 2021 Monaco Grand Prix in bizarre circumstances as he crashed with seconds remaining in Q3, which prevented any of his rivals improving.
Leclerc had claimed provisional pole with a 1m10.346s lap after the opening runs in Q3, where the drivers were each taking several warm-up laps to get their tyres to the best operating temperatures.
He led Max Verstappen by 0.230s, with the Red Bull leading the pack around to start the final runs.
Verstappen had just set the session’s fastest time in the first sector when, ahead of him on the track and about to finish his final flying lap of the session, Leclerc clipped the inside wall at the second part of the Swimming Pool.
That broke the Ferrari’s right-front suspension and sent him into the barriers on the outside, with the red flags showing with just over 10-seconds remaining on the clock.
The session was not restarted, which meant Leclerc’s lap from early in Q3 stood as the pole time, with Valtteri Bottas ending up third behind Verstappen.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF21 crashes
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Carlos Sainz Jr took fourth in the second Ferrari, with Lando Norris fifth for McLaren – the Briton taking a contra-approach in Q3 by running in the middle of the segment and returning to the pits ahead of the final runs.
Pierre Gasly finished sixth with Lewis Hamilton only seventh for Mercedes.
The world champion struggled with oversteer throughout the session, never looking like he was set the threaten the top spots, and at one point late in Q3 appearing to clip the barrier at Portier.
Sebastian Vettel was eighth ahead of Sergio Perez and Antonio Giovinazzi, who gave Alfa Romeo its first Q3 appearance of 2021.
Esteban Ocon found a chunk of time on his final lap in Q2 but ended up 0.077s slower than Giovinazzi as the highest faller in the middle segment.
Behind him, Daniel Ricciardo, Lance Stroll and Kimi Raikkonen all found time on their last laps but were also knocked out.
Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren MCL35M, Fernando Alonso, Alpine A521
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
George Russell qualified 15th after continuing his record of progressing from Q1 at every event so far in 2021. He went faster again in Q2, but could not climb any higher.
In Q1, where all the field completed several laps to build up to speed – Verstappen and Norris had the joint lowest lap count, seven – all the fallers completed their best times in the opening segment on their final runs.
But those improvements where not enough for Yuki Tsunoda and Fernando Alonso, who became the surprise exits for AlphaTauri and Alpine respectively.
Behind them came Nicholas Latifi and Nikita Mazepin, with the latter’s team-mate, Mick Schumacher, set to start the race in last after his FP3 shunt at Casino Square.
The damage to the rear and left-hand side of Schumacher’s Haas chassis was so severe that he could not take part in qualifying, with the team continuing to evaluate just how much damage had been done ahead of the session starting.
Results
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1'10.346 | |
| 2 |  Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1'10.576 | 0.230 |
| 3 |  Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1'10.601 | 0.255 |
| 4 |  Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 1'10.611 | 0.265 |
| 5 |  Lando Norris | McLaren | 1'10.620 | 0.274 |
| 6 |  Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri | 1'10.900 | 0.554 |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1'11.095 | 0.749 |
| 8 |  Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin | 1'11.419 | 1.073 |
| 9 |  Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 1'11.573 | 1.227 |
| 10 |  Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo | 1'11.779 | 1.433 |
| 11 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1'11.486 | 1.140 |
| 12 |  Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren | 1'11.598 | 1.252 |
| 13 |  Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1'11.600 | 1.254 |
| 14 | Kimi Raikkonen | Alfa Romeo | 1'11.642 | 1.296 |
| 15 | George Russell | Williams | 1'11.830 | 1.484 |
| 16 |  Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 1'12.096 | 1.750 |
| 17 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine | 1'12.205 | 1.859 |
| 18 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams | 1'12.366 | 2.020 |
| 19 |  Nikita Mazepin | Haas | 1'12.958 | 2.612 |
| 20 | Mick Schumacher | Haas | ||
| View full results | ||||
Related video
Previous article
Schumacher ruled out of Monaco GP qualifying after practice crash
Next article
F1 Monaco Grand Prix qualifying results: Leclerc on pole
The 'surprise' Mercedes time that puts F1's victory fight back on a knife-edge in France
Red Bull led the way after the first two practice sessions for the 2021 French Grand Prix, but only just ahead of Mercedes. There was all the usual practice skulduggery complicating the performance picture, but one aspect seen at the world champion squad gave it a ‘surprise’ lift, as it looks to leave its street-circuit struggles firmly in the past
How Ferrari got its F1 recovery plan working
After its worst campaign in 40 years, the famous Italian team had to bounce back in 2021 – and it appears to be delivering. Although it concedes the pole positions in Monaco and Baku paint a somewhat misleading picture of its competitiveness, the team is heading into the 2022 rules revamp on much stronger footing to go for wins again
The joy that exposes F1’s key weakness
Long-awaited wins for ex-Formula 1 drivers Marcus Ericsson and Kevin Magnussen in IndyCar and IMSA last weekend gave F1 a reminder of what it is missing. But with the new rules aimed at levelling the playing field, there’s renewed optimism that more drivers can have a rewarding result when their day of days comes
The figures Red Bull and Mercedes can't afford to see again in F1 2021
OPINION: An interloper squad got amongst the title contenders during Formula 1’s street-circuit mini-break, where Red Bull left with the points lead in both championships. But, as the campaign heads back to purpose-built venues once again, how the drivers of the two top teams compare in one crucial area will be a major factor in deciding which squad stays in or retakes the top spot
Why Alfa's boss is ready for the task of securing a stronger F1 future
Two tenth places in recent races have lifted Alfa Romeo to the head of Formula 1's 'Class C' battle in 2021, but longer-term the Swiss-based squad has far loftier ambitions. With the new 2022 rules set to level out the playing field, team boss Frederic Vasseur has good reason to be optimistic, as he explained to Autosport in an exclusive interview
How Barnard’s revolutionary McLaren transformed F1 car construction
The MP4/1 was pioneering by choice, but a McLaren by chance. STUART CODLING relates the tangled (carbonfibre) weaves which led to the creation of one of motor racing’s defining cars
Why the end is nigh for F1’s most dependable design tool
Windtunnel work forms the bedrock of aerodynamic development in Formula 1. But as PAT SYMONDS explains, advances in virtual research are signalling the end of these expensive and complicated relics
Why polarising Mosley’s legacy amounts to far more than tabloid rumour
The newspapers, naturally, lingered over Max Mosley’s tainted family history and niche sexual practices. But this is to trivialise the legacy of a big beast of motor racing politics. STUART CODLING weighs the life of a man whose work for safety on both road and track has saved hundreds of thousands of lives, but whose penchant for cruelty remains problematic and polarising
