How Monaco Grand Prix qualifying unfolded

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We know it's difficult to overtake in Monaco but can Fernando Alonso in second or Charles Leclerc in third (if he keeps the place, of course) challenge two-time world champion Max Verstappen and stop Red Bull taking a sixth win of the season?

Come back and join us for live text and radio commentary of the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday. We'll be up and running on this page at 12:30 BST.

Go and enjoy your Saturday night. We all deserve it.

Lando Norris is speaking to Sky Sports and says Charles Leclerc "blocked" him. "It's as simple as that," adds the McLaren driver.

What does he expect to happen to his Ferrari rival? "A penalty for him," says Norris. "Disqualified or something," he then jokes.

"There's one rule that says don't slow down in the tunnel and that's what he did. But it's not up to me," he adds.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner tells Sky Sports he thinks Max Verstappen's stunning lap in Monaco was probably the best the Dutchman's ever driven in qualifying.

"When he arrived at the Swimming Pool, he was 0.2secs down on Fernando," Horner added. "And all the time through that last sector, I think he hit the wall on both sides, but carried the momentum and carried the speed and I could see him gaining the time. I knew it was going to be close and he just did it."

Red Bull's Sergio Perez who crashed early in Q1 and had a very different day to his team-mate Max Verstappen. He told Sky Sports: "It was going well I was happy with the balance but Q1 naturally you are progressing and finding new limits, but yeah going into the corner I just lost the rear end quite late into the corner, because it was so late I had no where 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.

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

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer tells Sky Sports he is keeping a close eye on the stewards decision because if Charles Leclerc is slapped with a grid drop for tomorrow's race, both Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly will benefit.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who starts on the second row in P3: “I’m not satisfied with P3 but on the other hand we need to look at the situation we are in with the car. It was a very tricky qualifying weekend for me especially, I struggled a lot with the car.

“We struggled a lot on bumps compared to the other cars but in qualifying, the car was a bit more alive. I was a bit more at ease at the car and we managed P3, very close to the pole position, so all in all happy, but I would have preferred to be first of course.”

On Sunday's race, he added: “I guess a little bit more luck than the other years, but I don’t know the forecast, maybe we will have some rain and if that’s the case, anything is possible and I will go for it anyway and let’s see where we end up.”

Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, who starts P2 in Monaco: "I feel good. Obviously pole position means a lot in Monaco but today Max was a little bit faster, which was shame.

"But I think first row on the grid for us is quite a big thing here. Let's see tomorrow what we can do in terms of strategy, if there is weather coming or something, but we will try to win.

"It's very short into Turn One but we have normally a very good start this year. Max is really consistent, so maybe it is one of those ones tomorrow."

Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who qualifies P1 for the first time at the Monaco Grand Prix: “Very happy, we knew this was going to be a little bit of a struggle to get everything together.

"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.”

On tomorrow’s race, he added: “We need a clean start. It’s a short run to Turn One. In Monaco a lot of things can happen, safety car, rain, you name it. it’s always a bit of chaos unfolds but I think race pace wise the car is quick, that’s not the problem, but we need to keep it clean and calm."

Time to hear from the top three drivers. Starting with polesitter Max Verstappen...

Is the curse of Monaco about to strike Charles Leclerc again? The stewards are taking a look at an incident involving the Ferrari driver and McLaren's Lando Norris.

Did Leclerc impede Norris in the tunnel as the Briton was on a quick lap in Q3? The Monegasque man has been summoned...

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)

Was that one of the best qualifying sessions in Monaco we have ever seen?

Even Esteban Ocon in fourth place was only 0.188secs away from Max Verstappen's pole time in the Alpine.

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Max Verstappen put his Red Bull on pole position with a time of 1:11.365, beating Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin by just 0.084 seconds.

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)

The dominant driver of the year has taken another pole. His final sector was just magnificent there.

The Red Bull of Max Verstappen is kissing the walls as he aims to snatch the front spot away from Fernando Alonso.

Surely there is no time or track left for the Red Bull to do it?

He does! Max Verstappen takes pole position in Monaco!

This is incredible to witness, qualifying is always one of the highs of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend.

But wait! More celebrations. But this time it's the Aston Martin garage!

Fernando Alonso goes 0.022secs faster than the Monegasque man Charles Leclerc!