Monaco Grand Prix: Max Verstappen pips Fernando Alonso to stunning pole as Sergio Perez crashes out early in qualifying

World champion Max Verstappen seized a dramatic late pole in Monaco Grand Prix qualifying to deny Fernando Alonso, but his team-mate Sergio Perez crashed out early and will start at the back of the grid.

Verstappen put in a scorching final lap in Q3 to edge out the Spaniard by 0.084 seconds and clinch his 23rd career pole.

Alonso will start second, followed by hometown boy Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and the impressive Esteban Ocon of Alpine, who will start on the second row in fourth place.

Lewis Hamilton had a difficult session, leaving it late to avoid early exits in Q1 and Q2, to finish sixth behind Leclerc’s team-mate Carlos Sainz.

“Very happy, we knew this was going to be a little bit of a struggle to get everything together,” said Verstappen.

“Yesterday wasn’t the best start but I think we kept on improving and getting better. Then in qualifying you know we needed to go all out and risk it.

“My first sector wasn’t ideal in my final lap, Turn One was a bit cautious, but I know I was behind so the last sector I gave it everything I had, clipped a few barriers but of course very happy to be on pole here for the first time.”

Red Bull’s dominance this season has been underlined with four one-two finishes in five races so far, making Perez look like Verstappen’s likeliest rival for the world title.

But the Mexican, who won in Monaco last year, slid into the wall in Q1 to crash out early and is unlikely to challenge his team-mate in Sunday’s race at a track where qualifying is all-important and overtakes are at a premium.

“It was going well. I was happy with the balance. but Q1 naturally you are progressing and finding new limits. Going into the corner I just lost the rear end quite late, because it was so late I had nowhere to go, so I end up touching the wall which is a big mistake from my side and I’m very sorry for my team,” said Perez.

“I’m really disappointed with myself and it’s going to be a very difficult day tomorrow to do anything.”

Every car started with soft tyres bolted on for Q1 as some drivers went for early flying laps, but the session was soon disrupted when Perez came sliding out of Sainte Devote at speed and crashed into the barrier.

The red flags went up and the Mexican could only look on as his car was hoisted out of the historic course in a moment that is almost certain to end any chances of him repeating last year’s victory.

“F***! I crashed, I crashed,” Perez said over the team radio.

Hamilton and Sainz were left with a nervy finish once racing restarted, with both drivers – the former on a new set of soft tyres – heading through the chequered flag in the bottom five, only to shoot up to P7 and P4 respectively.

Logan Sargeant of Williams, Haas pair Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, Zhou Guanyu of Alfa Romeo and Perez were the unfortunate quintet to face early elimination, while the top three was made up of Verstappen, Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon.

Verstappen strapped on a new set of softs for Q2 and again topped the timesheets, ahead of Leclerc and Alonso, but Hamilton required another last-gasp escape act.

The seven-time world champion was complaining of issues with “right-rear suspension” and again began his final lap in the elimination zone, only to power up to P5 at the death.

Lando Norris’s car took a bump on his way around at Tabac and was forced into the garage, but the McLaren driver still squeezed through, while Lance Stroll also had issues and the Aston Martin driver couldn’t continue.

The McLaren mechanics did manage to get Norris back out for Q3, but attention quickly turned to Alonso as the Spaniard shot to the top of the timesheets ahead of the two Ferraris.

Ocon put Alpine on a surprise provisional pole with two minutes to go, but there wasn’t much between the top six and the order quickly changed.

Leclerc bumped him off top, but soon after Alonso came across the line 0.022 seconds faster to knock the Ferrari driver down to second and spark huge celebrations in the Aston Martin garage.

The euphoria was premature, though, as Verstappen somehow pulled the fastest lap out of the bag at the death as he skirted the walls and finished 0.084 seconds faster than Alonso.

Leclerc may yet face a penalty, however, as the stewards looked at an incident involving Norris, with the Brit claiming he was “blocked”.

Monaco Grand Prix qualifying results

• 1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
• 3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
• 4. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
• 5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
• 6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• 7. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
• 8. George Russell (Mercedes)
• 9. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri)
• 10. Lando Norris (McLaren)
• 11. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
• 12. Nyck De Vries (Alpha Tauri)
• 13. Alex Albon (Williams)
• 14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
• 15. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)
• 16. Logan Sargeant (Williams)
• 17. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
• 18. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)
• 19. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)
• 20. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)