The Monaco Grand Prix reaches its most thrilling moment, qualifying. Ferrari arrives at this appointment having topped all three free practice sessions. This could mean everything or nothing, especially in Monte Carlo where it only takes a moment to upend predictions and expectations. Charles Leclerc has prepared meticulously for this moment to secure, once again, pole position at his home race.
The SF-25 appears to behave well among the walls of the Principality, although Lewis Hamilton has struggled more than his teammate, who objectively always seems to have an extra gear on this track. The seven-time world champion, in fact, nearly missed qualifying after a crash in FP3, with his mechanics managing to repair the car just minutes before the green light.
As is tradition in Monaco, qualifying begins with all drivers on soft tyres, immediately hunting for the best possible time and thereby progressively improving track conditions. The two Ferrari drivers pay particular attention to tyre warm-up, a delicate task this weekend.
Charles Leclerc starts his run with tyres not yet at optimal temperature, while traffic once again proves one of the main challenges. Both Ferrari drivers perform well, but it is Charles Leclerc who appears decidedly sharper than his teammate. The Monegasque ends the session with the best time, while Lewis Hamilton, swallowed up in midfield, is forced to return to the pits for another attempt to avoid early elimination.
Back on track, he sets an excellent lap, with the best second sector overall. However, a slight misunderstanding with Max Verstappen at Massenet puts him under scrutiny for a potential impeding situation. To be fair, the Briton had very little room to move aside further. The session ends abruptly with a crash by Kimi Antonelli: the young Italian miscalculates the line at the Nouvelle Chicane, hitting the wall with the left rear, in an error similar to the one Hadjar made yesterday.
His qualifying ends there, despite having made it into Q2. Eliminated in the first segment are Bortoleto, Bearman, Gasly, Stroll, and Colapinto. The Canadian Aston Martin driver is under investigation for impeding Gasly and could receive an additional penalty, on top of the one he already received yesterday after the incident with Leclerc.
The team still needs to refine a few details, particularly braking at the Nouvelle Chicane, a crucial point for ensuring better traction on exit and approaching the fast section from Tabac to the Swimming Pool with more effectiveness. The two SF-25s return to the track on medium tyres—a choice that sparked discussion in the paddock today.
The car’s balance remains solid, and Charles Leclerc posts an excellent time, third overall, just three tenths behind Norris, who is on softs. Lewis Hamilton, however, struggles more to find rhythm (ninth), but the session is interrupted by another red flag, this time caused by George Russell.
Within minutes, both Mercedes are out: George Russell hit a bump on the uphill stretch at Massenet, causing irreparable damage to the underside of his W16. When the session resumes, Lewis Hamilton, as expected, returns with soft tyres in an attempt to recover ground, and Charles Leclerc follows suit with the softer compound.
We would have liked to further analyze the SF-25’s behaviour on medium tyres, but understandably Ferrari preferred not to take unnecessary risks. Charles Leclerc confirms his strong form and, with an excellent lap, temporarily takes the lead, only to be surpassed by Lando Norris by just 11 thousandths.
Lewis Hamilton ends Q2 in sixth, with a slower pace than his teammate. The Maranello car’s balance continues to impress, consistent with what has been seen throughout the weekend. Only a few details still need fine-tuning when entering corners. Eliminated in Q2: Sainz, Tsunoda, Hülkenberg, Russell, and Antonelli.
The first attempt by the Ferrari drivers is not particularly brilliant. Charles Leclerc makes a small error at Sainte Devote, compromising the lap and ending up in third place, almost two tenths behind Norris, who temporarily tops the timesheet ahead of Piastri. Verstappen is fourth, while Hamilton is fifth, but with a half-second gap to the McLarens—a decidedly too wide margin.
The Monegasque also lost time in the middle sector, about two tenths slower than his previous reference. So, there’s still ample room for improvement. The two MCL39s are first back on track for the final attempt, followed shortly after by Hamilton, Leclerc, and Verstappen. Norris and Piastri set the pace on their second flying laps, awaiting the others.
Max makes a mistake and settles for fifth, while Hamilton provisionally climbs to third, only to be overtaken by an extraordinary Charles Leclerc who takes provisional pole. But it’s Lando Norris who snatches it away at the last second: thanks to a perfect lap, he grabs top spot by 109 thousandths. The two McLaren drivers, with more fuel on board, manage to attempt another lap at the very end.
Norris will start from the front, with Charles Leclerc alongside him on the front row. Second row for Piastri and Hamilton, while Max Verstappen has to settle for fifth place.
— see video above —
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