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An incredible final third of the lap for Max Verstappen saw the Dutchman steal pole away from Fernando Alonso in Qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Dutchman was just fifth as he began his final flying lap, and was 0.2s adrift of the time he needed for pole entering the final sector.
An aggressive climax saw him brush the wall exiting the final corner but was still able to secure his first Monaco pole position, denying Alonso his first since 2007 in the process.
It was a busy start to Qualifying, the Williams duo of Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant the first log laps as Qualifying 1 commenced.
Red Bull quickly established themselves at the head of affairs, Verstappen with a 1:13.784 leading Perez on a 1:13.850s.
As Lance Stroll had teased in Free Practice 3, Aston Martin was also rapid with Alonso third.
A mistake from Perez saw the Red Bull driver crash out of the session.
The Mexican lost the back end of the RB19 at Sainte Devote, wiping the left-rear on the wall with the car coming to a rest in the middle of the track.
The red flag was quickly thrown, Perez sitting fifth at the time meaning, at best, he would line up 15th in a race where grid position is more important than any other.
Running resumed 10 minutes later, with 11 minutes left on the clock for the first part of the three-part session.
All remaining runners ventured out as the pit exit opened.
Alonso went fastest with a 1:12.886s, only for that to be bettered by Verstappen with a 1:12.644s.
Times were rapidly improving; Yuki Tsunoda went fastest with a 1:12.642s.
Moments later, Verstappen had a moment at Antony Noghes, brushing the barrier as he exited the final corner with his left-rear wheel.
A mistake in the final minute for Hamilton saw the Mercedes driver miss the Nouvelle chicane.
He had locked the rears on entry, correcting the slide but missing the apex of the corner as a result.
There was enough time to start another lap, and he was able to escape the cut with a time good enough for seventh.
Verstappen topped the session from an impressive Tsunoda and Alex Albon, with Sainz fourth ahead of Stroll.
Missing the cut were Sargeant, the two Haas of Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg, Zhou Guanyu, and Perez.
Red Bull sent Verstappen to the end of pit lane ahead of the start of Qualifying 2, the Dutchman the first out on track.
He was followed by George Russell, Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz.
It left the Dutchman with clear track for his first flying lap, logging a 1:12.038s – the fastest lap of the weekend to that point.
Russell was almost 0.8s slower though Leclerc managed a 1:12.347s and Sainz marginally faster with 1:12.303s.
Like in Qualifying 1, there was a wildcard, this time in the shape of Esteban Ocon who clocked a 1:12.248s.
That had initially seen him second but Alonso improved to bump him a spot, as did Pierre Gasly in the other Alpine, who went second on a 1:12.169s.
Ferrari held fifth and sixth with Sainz and Leclerc respectively, ahead of the two McLarens, Lando Norris just 0.02s up on Oscar Piastri.
On his second effort lap, Russell improved to third, 0.04s down on what Alonso had managed earlier.
In the other Mercedes, Hamilton reported a problem with the right-rear suspension.
The seven-time world champion sat 10th at the time and was not able to improve on even his own previous best out on track.
Norris had a brush with the wall exiting Tabac, understeering and hitting the wall on the outside with the front right, damaging the front wing in the process.
It forced him to pit, missing out on the flurry in the final moments as the bulk of the field looked to improve.
Hamilton was able to go quicker, climbing to fifth to slot in one spot behind his team-mate.
Missing out was Piastri, who was just 0.018s outside of progressing into the top 10, followed by Nyck de Vries, Albon, Stroll, and Valtteri Bottas.
Again Red Bull sent Verstappen to pit exit well ahead of the session starting, the Dutchman sitting there for more than two minutes.
Meanwhile, at McLaren, work was ongoing to the front left corner of Norris’ car following his cash with the wall in the latter moments of Qualifying 2.
Sainz and Leclerc also bettered Verstappen’s initial lap as the championship leader dropped to fourth.
That became fifth when Russell completed his lap midway through the session.
Verstappen began his second lap with six minutes remaining, improving to 1:11.654s to move onto provisional pole.
Hamilton began another flyer shortly after, recording a 1:11.725s which slotted him into third.
Ocon again proved the surprise as he rocketed to the top of the timing screens, the Alpine driver managing a 1:11.553s.
He did so with three minutes remaining, the session building to a crescendo with pole position seemingly anyone’s for the taking.
Leclerc laid his claim with a strong opening sector on his final flying lap, carrying that pace through the second sector.
However, behind him, Alonso was on an even better lap, so while Leclerc moved onto provisional pole it was immediately under threat.
The Spaniard as just 0.022s faster than the Ferrari to deny the Monegasque a home pole.
Verstappen was also on track looking to improve.
He was fifth inside the final seconds of the session but was 0.2s down to the second split.
He miraculously clawed it back, storming through the final third of the lap to take pole by 0.117s over Alonso.
Leclerc will start third, joined on the second row by the impressive Ocon, within Sainz and Hamilton on row three.
The top 10 was completed by Gasly, Russell, Tsunoda, and Norris.
The Monaco Grand Prix begins at 15:00 local time on Sunday (23:00 AEST).
