2023-05-27 18:36:08
In the extremely tense Formula 1 qualifying session for the Monaco Grand Prix, Max Verstappen put his car on pole position for the 23rd time in his career. The Dutchman, for whom it was his first pole in the Principality, edged Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin by 0.084 seconds on Saturday. Third was Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari, who was later transferred as a penalty. Verstappen’s Red Bull stable rival Sergio Perez crashed in the first qualifying section.
The Mexican has to start from the back on Sunday (3 p.m./live ServusTV and Sky), which is a major setback in the duel for the world championship. The starting position and the right pit stop strategy are the decisive factors on the street circuit, as overtaking is hardly possible. “It can be a difficult afternoon for him tomorrow,” commented Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.
Verstappen only got pole position with his last attempt, by literally driving through the last sector of the track on a knife’s edge. “Oh my God! I hit the wall pretty hard on the straight,” was the first reaction of the two-time world champion in the car. “I’m very happy. We knew this weekend was going to be a bit difficult for us,” he later said. “In the third sector I gave everything and brushed against some obstacles. In terms of race pace, the car is fast. We just have to stay calm.”
Alonso and Leclerc weren’t really happy. “Pole position means a lot here in Monaco, but Max was a bit faster today. The first row on the grid is still a big thing for us. We’ll try to win,” Alonso said aggressively.
Leclerc was dropped three positions hours after qualifying. After a hearing and the evaluation of the data and TV images, the stewards came to the conclusion that the Monegasque had obstructed Lando Norris in the McLaren in Q3. However, they blamed the team rather than the driver. For Leclerc, a series of bad luck and mishaps continued at his home Grand Prix. Until last year, he hadn’t even reached the goal in either Formula 2 or Formula 1 before he still finished fourth in 2022.
“Of course I would have preferred to finish first,” said Leclerc, who was a tenth of a second slower than Verstappen in qualifying. “But we have to look at the situation we’re in with the car. I’m struggling a lot with the car.” His team-mate Carlos Sainz starts fourth behind Alpine driver Esteban Ocon, and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is fifth on the grid.
sport/mixed/73452072.xml"/> 1685213210
#Verstappen #snatches #pole #position #Monaco