00:01Oh, Perez! Perez has gone around, and it's a dramatic moment in the first part of qualifying.
00:09The red flag is out, and so is Sergio Perez, who hits the OMCO on the exit of Sandovot.
00:16So, under braking, maybe missighted slightly by the car coming out the pit lane, but otherwise, just way too much
00:23speed on entry.
00:24He commits aggressively, which is fine on Tournament, but the rear just couldn't keep up with the front, and that
00:31was actually a sizable hit into the Tech Pro, so we'll need to see whether that's actually done the gearbox
00:36as well.
00:38Hamilton on the brink here. Sainz has started his final flying lap, and we join him on board.
00:44Yeah, Sainz, reasonable in the first sector. He hasn't gone purple, but 19-0. Does he keep it tidy through
00:51the chicane?
00:52He looks a bit tentative there, but let's just see how this next sector is going to tell us whether
00:57he's really got a chance of making the improvement.
01:00Lewis Hamilton down to 17th at the moment. Sainz doesn't need to actually be quickest, he just needs to be
01:05in the top 15.
01:07Right now, he's actually not. He's sitting in 19th. Lewis Hamilton 17th.
01:11High drama in Q1 with a crash for Perez. Sainz and Hamilton on the brink.
01:16Over the line goes the Ferrari driver to move up to fourth. He's safe.
01:20Now, can Hamilton do the same thing and get himself through into the next part of qualifying?
01:24He delivers under pressure with the checkered flag out, and it's going to be the two hasses of Magnussen.
01:31Hülkenberg, they're going to go out along with Logan Sargent and Joe Guanyu, but that was so much more stressful
01:38than Hamilton anticipated.
01:41Good lap from Yuki Tsunoda. He's up to seventh position, three and a half tenths of a second away from
01:46the benchmark set.
01:47But he doesn't have an end of the wall! End of the wall goes the McLaren of Lando Norris!
01:54So we see him just sliding in, though.
01:56Yeah, it was understeer, actually. Just carried too much speed, didn't quite get the turn in.
01:59So was that enough just to be a kiss, or has he done damage?
02:03Ah, f***ed it.
02:04Did he tap? Yeah, is he going to tap the barrier here? There you go.
02:08Oh, wow.
02:09Yeah, that's a heavier hit.
02:10Well spotted.
02:12De Vries hasn't made Q3 for AlphaTauri. He is out.
02:16So is Alexander Albon, by the looks of things.
02:19We'll see. No, Albon improved.
02:21Albon's gone over the line. We've lost the time in graphics.
02:23Hamilton giving it everything now.
02:25Trying to get ahead, trying to move past.
02:28And he is now trying to displace Oscar Piastri, the driver at risk.
02:32De Vries is 11th.
02:34Albon is in 13th.
02:35He's done. Stroll is out as well.
02:37He's in the pit lane.
02:38Hamilton to the line.
02:39Can he get into the final part of qualifying?
02:41Yes, he can!
02:42With a time good enough for 5th position.
02:46And it's Piastri who finds himself in 11th position.
02:51Then De Vries.
02:52Then Alex Albon.
02:53Stroll and Bottas.
02:55Piastri eliminated by under 2 hundredths of a second.
03:00So Verstappen across the line.
03:02And the world champion sets on the board a 1.12.1.
03:06So slightly slower than we've seen so far in qualifying.
03:09We've seen cars in the 11th.
03:11Yes, Fernando Alonso.
03:12He is fastest of anyone in sector 1, in sector 2.
03:16And as well now as he goes across the line faster than Verstappen.
03:20The crowd enjoyed that one.
03:22Here's the effort for Charles Leclerc.
03:24Yeah, that puts a huge amount of pressure on Verstappen actually.
03:27Because that is the sizable step forward.
03:29He's got to go a full 4 tenths quicker if he's going to challenge.
03:33Charles Leclerc ahead of Verstappen as well.
03:35So we'll wait to see his second effort on these tyres.
03:38That Clare in that final sector was terrific.
03:41He got so close.
03:42Half a tenth away.
03:43But his teammate is faster still.
03:45And now we're seeing the wick turned up.
03:48Verstappen has put some magical performances in, in the final sector so far this weekend.
03:53So there might be an opportunity here as he runs to the line.
03:56He looks good through that final sector as he runs to the line.
03:59And Max Verstappen does do it in the final sector.
04:02That was absolutely electric in the final part of the lap.
04:05And he's taken pole position by half a tenth of a second.
04:09Look at this.
04:10The top four separated by one tenth.
04:13Around 3.3 kilometers or two miles of Monaco.
04:16Now Ocon, this is wider open than we expected.
04:19Remember one mistake.
04:20This could be the order for the Grand Prix tomorrow.
04:23Ocon's taken pole.
04:25Ocon's taken pole position.
04:283 minutes and 23 seconds to go.
04:31And Ocon is at the front of the field.
04:34This is the man chasing his third consecutive pole position around here.
04:38The last driver to do that was Ayrton Senna back in 1990.
04:42And he's up with the fastest first sector of the session so far.
04:47Yeah, that is impressive.
04:49But that's what we need, as Alan pointed out.
04:51Track conditions now.
04:52You're not going to have a better moment on this race circuit to deliver a lap time.
04:57It's Ocon, Ben Verstappen, Alonso, Hamilton, Sainz.
05:01And sixth place would be a mighty disappointment for Charles Leclerc,
05:04who is ringing all the speed he's got from that Ferrari.
05:08Is it going to be Leclerc?
05:10Could it be Fernando Alonso, who is improving still in the first sector of the lap?
05:15This is absolutely magical stuff from the finest drivers in the world.
05:21Charles Leclerc, one corner left between him.
05:24He wants to win this Grand Prix.
05:26He's desperate to do it.
05:27The best way to do that is to start on pole.
05:29Looking for three in a row around the principality.
05:32He's done it.
05:33He's done it.
05:34And the crowd roar their approval from the grandstand in front.
05:37But it's not over yet.
05:38Sainz is quick in the middle sector.
05:40Yeah, I don't think that's going to be enough.
05:42But let's see if Sainz hasn't delivered it.
05:44Sainz in third.
05:45But watch Alonso, who hasn't been on pole in Formula One since 2012,
05:50knows this is his best chance in years, in over a decade.
05:55Can the old lion roar once again in Formula One qualifying?
05:59Wait for your answer across the line.
06:01Alonso's done it.
06:03Alonso takes pole position and winds back the years.
06:07Aston Martin are on provisional pole.
06:11Alonso seizes the moment.
06:13He's two hundredths of a second ahead of Charles Leclerc.
06:17Verstappen struggling, David.
06:18Marginally quicker than his personal best in the first sector.
06:21Marginally quicker than his personal best in the second sector.
06:25He's got to go all in at the casino here with two cardinals to go.
06:28This is where he was absolutely phenomenal before.
06:31Will it be the reigning world champion or will it be a return to pole position for Fernando Alonso?
06:36Who's it going to be across the line?
06:38It's Max Verstappen who breaks Aston Martin hearts
06:42and takes pole position away from Fernando Alonso.
06:46And it was a supreme final sector.
06:49Verstappen on pole.
06:51Dejection for Alonso and Aston Martin.
06:56Charles Leclerc in third.
06:57And the champion class of Verstappen displayed at the end.
07:02He's on pole for the Monaco Grand Prix.
07:05Well done, mate.
07:06Your first ever pole.
07:07That was mighty.
07:09We needed to pull that one out the back.
07:11But very lovely.
07:14We always hype it up around Monaco.
07:16But my word.
07:17Did it deliver?
07:19It's Max Verstappen from the front of the field for tomorrow's Grand Prix.
07:22The start will be unmissable.
07:28We'll see you next time.
07:29We'll see you next time.
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