Antonelli snatches Monaco pole with 'magic lap' for Mercedes

Kimi Antonelli made a mockery of suggestions that the Monaco Grand Prix would stall his incredible start to the Formula One season by producing a magic qualifying lap to stick his Mercedes ‌on pole position on Saturday.

The qualifying battle lived up to expectations with provisional pole changing hands several times before the 19-year-old championship leader ​snatched it with his ⁠final lap.

He edged out Oracle Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.043 seconds to become the first Italian since ‌Jarno Trulli in 2004 to take pole ‌position in the principality.

"It was one of those laps that we call a magic lap. I was able to put it all together. It was such a close qualifying with Max," Antonelli, who clocked 1:12.051 seconds to claim his fourth pole in six races this season, said.

"I knew the last lap was good, ‌I was just hoping that it would be enough but it was very close."

Mercedes' Italian driver Kimi Antonelli reacts after winning the pole position at the end of qualifying session at the Monaco street circuit.

Antonelli is the youngest driver to lead the championship having won the ⁠last four races, but the unique nature of Monaco's twisting circuit full of slow corners was supposed to take away the Mercedes power advantage.

Ferrari pair on second row

Ferrari have been strongly tipped as race favourites, but had to be content with the second row on Sunday's grid with Lewis Hamilton third quickest, 0.228 slower, and local favourite Charles Leclerc, winner of the race in 2024, fourth.

Leclerc had been on provisional pole with time running out in Q3, but clipped the wall on his final lap as he tried to wrestle it back, stopping his car at Rascasse.

Ferrari dominated Friday's two ​practice sessions with Hamilton and Leclerc first and second in both, although Antonelli was quickest in Saturday's final practice.

"Congrats to Kimi. ‌Mega, mega job. Having your first pole here is so special," three-time Monaco champion Hamilton, who is yet to win a race for Ferrari, said.

Second-placed Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen (left), pole position winner Mercedes' Italian driver Kimi Antonelli and thrid-placed Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton pose after competing in the qualifying session at the Monaco street circuit in Monaco, ahead of the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix, on Saturday. Photos: AFP

"It was tough for us. We were looking so strong in practice and we barely changed anything, but the car was drastically different once we got to qualifying ⁠for some reason."

Isack Hadjar, in the second Oracle Red Bull, bounced back from a nasty crash in Friday practice to qualify fifth with Antonelli's team mate George Russell, who trails him by 43 points in the standings, a disappointing sixth.

Reigning world champion and last year's Monaco winner Lando Norris will be on the fourth row ​alongside fellow McLaren ‌driver Oscar Piastri, with the team's hopes of victory in their 1,000th Grand Prix now looking slender.

Reuters