Monaco Formula 2: Ferrari's Leclerc on pole but under investigation
Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in qualifying for the Monaco Formula 2 round, but faces a post-session stewards' investigation that could cost him pole


Leclerc, a Ferrari Formula 1 junior driver, set the fastest time in the first group of 10 drivers - F2 qualifying in Monaco is split into two sessions of 16-minutes each - to take to the streets of Monaco.
The Prema Racing driver brushed the barriers exiting the tunnel on his way to a best lap of 1m19.309s, which meant he set the quickest time in qualifying for the third time out of three events in 2017.
The fastest driver from group two - ART Grand Prix's Alexander Albon - will start second, and the next fastest drivers from each segment will line up behind Leclerc and Albon in the order they finished their respective sessions.
That means DAMS driver Oliver Rowland is third on the grid, alongside Russian Time racer and 2016 Monaco GP2 feature race winner Artem Markelov.
Nobuharu Matsushita, who crashed at the very end of the first session when he clattered the kerbs going through the second part of the Swimming Pool and hit the barriers on the outside of the track, still earned fifth.

Albon was able to improve his best time to 1m19.321s late on in the second half of qualifying, but wound up just 0.012s slower than Leclerc.
But the Thai driver could yet start on pole as it was announced during the first segment that Leclerc will be investigated for stalling in the pitlane and failing to wait for a minute before getting going again.
Norman Nato will start sixth after finishing third in the second group, and will line up ahead of MP Motorsport driver Jordan King.
McLaren F1 junior Nyck de Vries qualified eighth, but will lose three places for the feature race after picking up a penalty for causing a collision with Prema's Antonio Fuoco in the sprint race last time out at Barcelona.
Luca Ghiotto was fifth in the first session and qualifies ninth, with Nicolas Latifi - who lost what looked like a certain victory in the Spain sprint event when he ran wide after noticing his wing mirror had fallen off late in the race - rounding out the top 10.

Monaco Formula 2: Ferrari junior Charles Leclerc fastest for Prema
Monaco F2: Ferrari junior Leclerc keeps pole, Prema fined

Latest news
Double F1 race winner Jean Pierre Jabouille has died
Former French Formula 1 driver Jean-Pierre Jabouille has died on Thursday at age 80, French media have reported.
IMSA champion Jarvis to contest full ELMS season with United Autosports
Reigning IMSA Sportscar Championship title-winner Oliver Jarvis will contest the European Le Mans Series with United Autosports alongside Formula 2 convert Marino Sato, in addition to the World Endurance Championship.
20 years on: Porsche’s 911 GT Daytona 24 Hours giant-killing relived
IMSA’s new GTP class for LMDh cars had a more auspicious debut last weekend than the Daytona Prototypes that arrived in 2003. Back then, they were humbled by a GT Porsche 911, which won the Floridian sportscar classic by nine laps.
Entries open for the 2023 Williams Autosport Engineer of the Future Award story
Entries have opened for the 2023 Williams Autosport Engineer of the Future Award, with budding motorsport engineers invited to apply for the revamped prize.
Ranking the 10 best drivers from F1's junior series in 2022
The ladder to F1 never gets any less slippery. But a strong cast of Formula 3 and Formula 2 aces proved sure of foot as they continued their climbs in 2022
The next steps for France's latest F1 hopeful after an F2 title miss
Theo Pourchaire entered the 2022 Formula 2 season a firm favourite for the title after remaining with ART Grand Prix for a second season. But an unexpected charge from Felipe Drugovich and MP Motorsport meant the Frenchman was forced to settle for second. What went wrong for the Sauber protege, and where does he go from here?
The remarkable career turnaround of an ever-improving F2 talent
Sixth in the F2 standings heading into this month's final round, but within touching distance of third, Enzo Fittipaldi has quietly put together a strong first full season in the Formula 1 support series, recovering well from the scary Jeddah start crash that cut his 2021 campaign short. It marks a turn in fortunes for the Brazilian who thought he'd bid hopes of a career in Europe goodbye two years ago
What the future holds for two Red Bull juniors fighting in the F2 battleground
Despite having two talented drivers, albeit at very different stages of their careers, Prema Racing has had mixed fortunes in FIA Formula 2 this year. Both drivers told Autosport how they rate their seasons so far – and their next steps beyond 2022
The problem sausage kerbs continue to cause
Track limits are the problem that motorsport doesn't seem to be able to rid itself of. But the use of so-called 'sausage kerbs' as a deterrent has in several instances only served to worsen the problem, and a growing number of voices want to see action taken
The on-form F1 protege carrying America's hopes on his shoulders
Two feature race wins in as many rounds have helped Logan Sargeant to emerge as the closest challenger to runaway Formula 2 points leader Felipe Drugovich. The Williams F1 junior couldn't have timed his rise better, with interest in grand prix racing on the rise in his US homeland, and he could be his country's best shot at getting a driver on the grid for the first time since 2015
What racing in Australia means for the future of F1's junior series
The announcement that FIA Formula 2 and 3 would race alongside the Australian Grand Prix from 2023 came as a surprise, not only to fans but to the series’ teams too. But with Formula 1’s boom in popularity bringing more fans to the championships, team principals are relishing the opportunity
The other Doohan charting his way to motorsport success
Heading into FIA Formula 2 this season, there was a lot of pressure on Jack Doohan. The 2021 F3 runner-up joined a new team for his next challenge, as well as signing up to the Alpine Academy. He told Autosport how he’s tackling the step up - with some help from his motorcycle legend father
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.