00:01PĆ©rez crossed the line with eight seconds to go, it was tight but he's gonna get another lap as well.
00:06Sargent improves to 14th, he's done all he can to try and improve at the same time that his teammate
00:12goes up to fourth place.
00:14Alex Albon isn't happy with the tire wear but over one lap that Williams is performing.
00:19Sainz goes to third, we're on board with Lando Norris, currently in the drop zone, needs a lap.
00:24We've got both Salvas heading out in the first stage of qualifying.
00:27Bottas and Joe, Ricciardo finds the time that he needs.
00:30PĆ©rez in the drop zone, needs a response as does Lando Norris.
00:35So this is massive for the British driver now.
00:38Can the one-time Grand Prix winner find a way through at a track where he stood on the podium
00:42in the past?
00:43Gasly's gone to seventh, Norris comes across the line and he gets to ninth place.
00:48He finds a time as Alonso goes into the drop zone.
00:51He is in the pits, he is out along with Sargent and the two Salvas.
00:55So it's all about Sergio PĆ©rez now.
00:58He needs a lap to progress.
00:59Can he find the time?
01:01Oh, PĆ©rez goes over the line and he's out in Q1.
01:03He is out in the first part of qualifying.
01:06The Mexican driver is only half a second away from the benchmark time.
01:11But Formula One has never been closer and the Red Bull is eliminated in the first part of qualifying for
01:18the first time this season.
01:21Alonso out.
01:23Sargent, PĆ©rez, Bottas and Joe out in the first part of qualifying.
01:32Blocking, blocking.
01:34I'm stood okay.
01:35Not much Hockenberg is going to be saying about that one.
01:39Here's Lance Stroll to the line.
01:40Can he get into the top ten?
01:42The answer is no.
01:43And he finds himself in 13th out of time.
01:47Ocon is pitting in the other Alpine.
01:49So Ocon is going to be in major trouble here.
01:51Staffden again, quickest in that first sector.
01:53Still the middle where he's struggling.
01:56But tidy in the final one.
01:58That's where he pulled the pole last year.
02:01Risk stall and won through.
02:02And in a similar part of the circuit, Lewis Hamilton was really pushing on on the exit of the swimming
02:08pool.
02:08And before you know it, before we've even told you about that.
02:11He's over the line to complete the lap and improve up to sixth position.
02:16Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly.
02:17They're the question marks that we've got now.
02:19Ocon in the pits.
02:20He is done.
02:21Can anyone displace him?
02:22No.
02:23Ricciardo gets up to 13th.
02:25What about the second Alpine?
02:26Gasly aiming for the top ten in qualifying for the first time this year.
02:30And that's the lap that knocks out his teammate.
02:33Ocon losing out.
02:35Tsunoda, well, he knew he was the driver at risk.
02:38But it's worked out for him.
02:40No one else on a personal best behind.
02:42And Yuki Tsunoda for the second year in a row will make it to the top ten shootout.
02:47His teammate is out.
02:48And Alex Albon's going to get there as well for the first time this season.
02:53So we are P5.
02:55Let's go!
02:56Let's go!
02:58Fine margins in the end.
03:01Only six hundredths of a second between Albon progressing and Ocon going out.
03:07Hamilton and Albon currently on the board.
03:10We've had a lap time deleted for signs, but that's just positional.
03:13Right.
03:14What can Leclerc do?
03:15He's not ahead of...
03:17He is now.
03:19Wow.
03:19What a final sector.
03:20I was going to say.
03:21Middle part of the lap.
03:22He was not ahead of Hamilton.
03:23He did it at the end.
03:24Yeah.
03:25His middle part was alright.
03:26Piastri is actually going quicker.
03:28The commitment that he had into back was a lot.
03:30Leclerc is turning it up now to try and find that bit more.
03:33Piastri has come through and hasn't beaten him over the lap even though he was quicker in the middle sector.
03:38Sainz, quarter of a second down.
03:39Okay.
03:40Leclerc, Piastri, Norris, the top three.
03:42These first runs to set the grid for the Monaco Grand Prix in the top ten.
03:46Where does Sainz go in comparison to his teammate?
03:49It's ahead of his old teammate Lando Norris.
03:52It is Ferrari, McLaren, Ferrari, McLaren.
03:55Leclerc, Piastri, Sainz and Norris.
03:57We've yet to see a full flying lap from Max Verstappen.
04:01We're on board with George Russell out of the final corner of the racetrack.
04:05Going for the line.
04:07And where does Russell go?
04:08Ahead of Norris.
04:09Up to fourth.
04:10Verstappen needs to respond.
04:11His first sector has always been dynamite in qualifying and it's there again.
04:15But he's lost a bit in the middle.
04:16Flashes it into the final sector.
04:18Is neck and neck.
04:19But that is close enough.
04:20That is where he needs to be.
04:22It's only half a tenth between Verstappen and Leclerc at that stage.
04:27How much is he willing to risk?
04:29DC takes a step back in the commentary box.
04:31Because Verstappen's going to the line.
04:33And it's third position.
04:35Big improvements out there for everyone in the field.
04:38George Russell's done the fastest first sector of the entire session so far.
04:42Hamilton trying to break into the top five.
04:45That will be the aim for him.
04:47Round the 19th and final corner.
04:49Name for Anthony Nogues.
04:51The driver and man who came up with the idea of coming up with a race in Monaco.
04:56And it's improvement to fourth place for Lewis Hamilton.
04:58But Russell has been the lead Mercedes on the grid so many times this year.
05:02He's trying to make it 7-1 in the head-to-head.
05:05A minute to go.
05:06Russell comes across the line.
05:07Where does he go?
05:08Up to third.
05:09Leclerc and Piastri are on their laps right now.
05:12And Leclerc is slower than Piastri by nearly a tenth in the first sector.
05:15They are one and two.
05:17Less than half a tenth separating them.
05:19And they are neck and neck on this lap.
05:21And Verstappen says he's touched the wall.
05:23Verstappen hits the wall.
05:24It could be a new contender at the front of the field.
05:27Up against the home favourite.
05:28This is Charles Leclerc chasing pole position number three on home territory.
05:34He's trying to take it away as he comes across the line.
05:37He's up against Oscar Piastri who's had an ordinary middle sector.
05:40But the crowd are roaring in Monaco.
05:43Because Charles Leclerc has got there.
05:45He's managed to extend his time at the front of the field.
05:48Piastri fights back.
05:49And he's a tenth and a half away.
05:51And Verstappen's bailed out.
05:53There's chances now for Norris and for Sainz as well to get in the mix.
05:56Sainz and Norris trying to respond to their teammates' effort.
06:00Carlos Sainz across the line.
06:01Up to third position in the Ferrari.
06:04Does Norris have a response to the home hero?
06:07He's into fourth position.
06:08Max Verstappen on pole here last year.
06:12He's still carrying on.
06:13But Verstappen has had to bail out of it.
06:16Yeah, he's bailed out of the lap.
06:17He's done.
06:18He's not a contender.
06:19The man who's been on pole position for every single Grand Prix this year
06:24is sixth in Monaco.
06:26And it's time to listen to the cheers and the applause.
06:30Because the hot favourite for pole has delivered at home Charles Leclerc
06:35for the third time in his Formula One career will start from the very front of the field.
06:42So did he hit the wall at the first corner?
06:45On the outside.
06:46Sandoval, big braking.
06:47Oh, the back's gone.
06:48Oh, f***ing hit the wall.
06:50Oh man, this car is so slippery.
06:52Okay, Roger.
06:54Well, he rest all and he had to.
06:56But on this occasion, it was just a step too far.
06:59Yeah, no damage, but more than a glancing blow there.
07:02Just completely hampered his exit and that was it for Verstappen.
07:05Well, a brilliant qualifying session.
07:08Charles Leclerc living up to the billing as the hot favourite,
07:11taking his third pole at home and his 24th all time in Formula One.
