The Saturday qualifying for the Monaco GP ended in favor of the homeboy, Charles Leclerc. But the final minute of the qualifying turned chaotic, and even many F1 teams weren’t sure what happened on the track in the last few seconds.
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Leclerc was flying in the last minute of qualifying. And the Red Bull driver Sergio Perez was chasing the Ferrari ahead to get a pole. However, he lost his rear at a turn near the entrance to the tunnel and hit the barriers.
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The yellow flags came out, but Carlos Sainz, who was behind Checo, failed to see the flag. He slammed the brakes late, leading to losing his rear too, and crashing into Perez’s Red Bull. But this wasn’t the only incident on the track, as Fernando Alonso also crashed his car into the barrier.
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The chaos on the track caused the qualifying to end. Many teams didn’t even know who was involved in the crash. Aston Martin crew informed Sebastian Vettel that Leclerc crashed into Perez. But the four-time world champion corrected his team and told them it was Sainz.
Charles Leclerc is happy with the pole for the Monaco GP
The Monegasque has always been fast at his home Grand Prix but has never been able to finish the race. Leclerc was the polesitter last season here as well but couldn’t start the race. The Ferrari driver had a damaged driveshaft, which the Maranello base failed to detect after his Q3 crash the previous session.
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But this season, the 24-year-old had no such issues and returned to the pit with a perfect car. After qualifying, Leclerc shared his joy for the pole, “It is very special. I’m incredibly happy. It’s been a smooth weekend so far, that last lap before the red flag was really good. I was so on the limit.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc speaks to the media ahead of Monaco GP practice REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
The Monegasque is the favorite to win the Monaco GP, not because he’s the home driver but also thanks to the pace he had this weekend. But it is also too early to conclude anything. Further, teammate Sainz and Red Bull’s Perez will be a threat to Leclerc and would start the race behind him on the grid.
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Further, Leclerc also needs to be careful of Max Verstappen, who would be starting P4 in the second row. Charles needs to be cautious of Max as he’s leading the title race with 6 points. But Leclerc can take back the lead with a Monaco victory. Do you expect the Ferrari driver to win the home race?
