Leclerc takes pole on home turf ahead of Monaco GP

Charles Leclerc claimed pole position at his home race track after a terrific qualifying session for Ferrari at the Monaco Grand Prix on Saturday.

Leclerc's teammate, Carlos Sainz, will start Sunday's race third, behind Leclerc and McLaren's Oscar Piastri.

It's Leclerc's third pole in Monaco, making him just the ninth driver in F1 history to accomplish the feat. The pole was also the 250th all-time for Ferrari.

Despite his home-race success on Saturdays, the Monegasque driver hasn't fared as well on Sundays. After earning pole in 2021, Leclerc couldn't begin the race due to a driveshaft problem on his way to the grid. Strategy issues kept him off the podium in 2022 after he started the event in pole position.

"Whatever happens, we just need to bring that victory home," Leclerc said following Saturday's session, according to Sky Sports.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen starts sixth after a frustrating qualifying session for the driver standings leader, ending his bid for a record-extending ninth straight pole - a record he shares with legendary driver Ayrton Senna.

Verstappen hit the wall at one point during qualifying, complaining about how slippery the vehicle was.

Sergio Perez, Verstappen's teammate, couldn't make it out of Q1 and qualified 18th. However, due to penalties on the grid, the Mexican will start 16th.

It's the second straight week of struggles for Perez, who qualified 11th in Imola ahead of the Emilia Romagna GP.

Following the qualifying session, Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, who qualified 12th and 15th, respectively, were penalized for failing their post-qualifying inspection. As a result, the two Haas drivers will start Sunday's race from the pit lane.

The top ten also includes RB's Yuki Tsunoda and Alpine's Pierre Gasly, both of whom drove well during qualifying, as well as Williams' Alex Albon, who begins ninth.

It's Williams' first top-ten start of the season and the team's first in Monaco since 2016.