How Monaco qualifying unfolded

1. Hamilton takes pole, Rosberg 2nd, Vettel 3rd
2. Ricciardo 4th, Kvyat 5th, Raikkonen 6th
3. Bottas out in Q1, McLarens out in Q2
4. Race live online & 5 live on Sunday at 13:00 BST

Reuters

Lewis Hamilton's trainers, providing the opportunity for a tenuous link to stylish driving...

It may be questionable off the circuit, but no-one can argue with Lewis Hamilton's style on it. The world champion was not without his problems in qualifying, but put it together when it counted. Can he carry that on again in tomorrow's race?

I'll point you in the direction of Andrew Benson's qualifying report and watch out for highlights on BBC One at 17:10 BST.

Oh, and before I go, thanks for all your Eurovision Song Contest-F1 related song titles. There were some absolute belters. Don't forget you can watch Eurovision itself on BBC One from 20:00 BST.

See you tomorrow!

Mercedes

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Phil Slocombe: Lewis almost 4 tenths quicker than Nico and 8 tenths quicker than Seb, great lap which shows why he is a great champion.

Leigh Matthews: Did no-one else notice Lewis taking shots at Nico? "Nothing got in my way" repeated again and again!

Simon Woodward: Very intelligent session from Lewis, nice to hear him on the radio changing settings to get the most out of the car and go faster.

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Daniel Ricciardo pulled it out of the bag to qualify fourth but, even if Mercedes were not so dominant, history suggests his chances of victory from that position are slim at best. No-one has won from fourth in Monaco since Jean-Pierre Beltoise for BRM in 1972.

Fernando Alonso: Maybe an electrical problem stop us today for a sixth/seventh place. A lot to improve, but we start to be competitive... #LetsDoThis

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It is going to be tough but, with a bit of luck and some fine driving, Nico Rosberg could still join an elite group by winning tomorrow. Only three other drivers have won three or more Monaco GPs in a row.

More from Lewis Hamilton: "This is not even half the job done. There is so much to do tomorrow. It will be mentally and physically challenging. I am just sitting here and thinking about previous years and what got away or what was not good enough so I am looking forward to tomorrow. The last time I was on pole here was in 2006 in GP2, so it will be a very special day."

AP

Lewis Hamilton's pole lap is almost a second faster than Nico Rosberg's last year. It is also his 14th consecutive front row start, tying Sebastian Vettel for the longest streak by any current driver.

Formula 1

Sebastian Vettel, who qualified third: "I am generally happy with the result but it was a bit too cool for most people and we were struggling with warming up the tyres. It is a shame the sun was hiding behind the clouds but overall it was a good session and our aim now is to have a good race tomorrow and try to split the Mercedes.

"I wasn't completely calm when I saw myself dropping down the order and the time ticking down but I knew roughly the time would be ok. But, yes, it was a little nervewracking. Tomorrow is another day."

What of Sebastian Vettel? He looks to be Ferrari's best chance of securing their first win in Monaco since 2001, and while he couldn't prevent Mercedes from locking out the front row, he has earned the team's highest start in Monaco since 2009 with third.

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Phil Slocombe: Lewis will need to keep a wary eye on Nico to ensure he does not shunt him in the first corner.

Tom Howells: Stonking lap by Lewis Hamilton just needs to not clip a manor and it's all his!

Adam Craig: Great pole for Lewis Hamilton, looks like it could be a close race tomorrow though.

Formula 1

Nico Rosberg, who qualified second: "Didn't have a good weekend so far - I lost touch before the end. I knew Lewis was going quickly and it didn't work out - that's it.

"I didn't see [running behind Lewis] as too much of a problem. I could have improved - we changed the balance as I was suffering understeer, and I was confident it was going to come my way. But it didn't."

Nico Rosberg's body language is the polar opposite of Lewis Hamilton's as he sits with his shoulders on the table, a clenched fist pressed against pursed lips. A couple of lock-ups cost him the chance to truly challenge for a third successive pole in Monaco. Let's see what he had to say...

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Lewis Hamilton, who will start on pole: "It has been a long, long time. I can't express to you how happy I am. It was not the easiest session. There were a lot of things that throw you off your rhythm and I did not have that rhythm until the last couple of laps. I am very, very happy.

"This track is so hard. It is difficult to express how difficult it is. In our session we had some problem with tyres and traffic, it was not easy so it makes it even more special. We had some really bad laps, so it was great."

Formula 1

Lewis Hamilton is absolutely beaming in the post-qualifying news conference and who can blame him? That's the 43rd pole position of his career, but as one that had eluded him up until today, this one will no doubt be extra special.

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Jeremiah Kariuki: Pole for Lewis thus breaking the possibility of Rosberg going for a hat-trick in Monaco.

Sean Harrison: Nico seems to have forgotten he needed to have provisional pole and be in front on the track before out-braking himself.

Shohidur Rahman: Rosberg not getting the edge over Hamilton at his best track is worrying for him.

Ben Edwards

BBC F1 commentator

Formula 1

"The start up front is absolutely perfect for Lewis Hamilton on a circuit notoriously difficult to overtake on, a tough day ahead for Nico Rosberg."

Qualifying result

11) Romain Grosjean 12) Jenson Button 13) Nico Hulkenberg 14) Felipe Massa 15) Fernando Alonso 16) Felipe Nasr 17) Valtteri Bottas 18) Marcus Ericsson 19) Will Stevens 20) Roberto Merhi

TOP 10

1) Lewis Hamilton 2) Nico Rosberg 3) Sebastian Vettel 4) Daniel Ricciardo 5) Daniil Kvyat 6) Kimi Raikkonen 7) Sergio Perez 8) Carlos Sainz 9) Pastor Maldonado 10) Max Verstappen

"Did I get it?" Lewis Hamilton asks over team radio. "Yes you did pal," comes the reply.

That's his first-ever pole in Monaco.

Chequered flag

Mercedes

LEWIS HAMILTON SECURES POLE POSITION FOR THE MONACO GRAND PRIX.

And as Nico Rosberg relays that message, Lewis Hamilton goes faster! A 1:15.098 and it surely going to be a Mercedes qualifying one-two?

"Boxing this lap," says Nico Rosberg over team radio.

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No improvement from Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg or Sebastian Vettel in the first sector. Is Hamilton's earlier time going to be the one?

Mercedes: Final runs now; its crunch time! Who will get pole?!

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"This is the point when you know the circuit the best, the circuit is rubbered as it can be. but Lewis Hamilton's lap at the moment doesn't look like being THE lap for me. Spots of rain apparently, is that having an impact?"

Formula 1

Here's the top 10 as things stand. Lewis Hamilton has taken that option to be the first of the two Mercedes to head back out for this final shootout for pole.

It is a mighty fine lap by Lewis Hamilton and he has the provisional pole after a 1:15.304. Nico Rosberg can't beat it, with a lap 0.136s slower than his Mercedes team-mate.

All 10 have clocked a timed lap and head back to the pits a we enter the final five minutes of qualifying.

Lewis Hamilton is off the mark with a 1:20.611 but he is quickly bumped down to P3 as Sergio Perez goes fastest with 1:17.912 and a 1:17.912 from Kimi Raikkonen puts him into P2. All to change soon though.

Final qualifying starts

Formula 1

We're into the top 10 shootout and the battle for that crucial pole. Only once in the last decade has this race not been won from pole and with that news of a bit of rain, drivers are eager to get out.

Lewis Hamilton leads his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg out first, with the rest not far behind.

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Eddie Marlin: You could record Monaco GP, watch the 1st lap, fast forward to the last lap and you'll have the gist of it. It's an obsolete circuit.

Vicky Sanderson: Button may not be in the top ten, but McLaren are improving. Not sure how much of it is Monaco magic, but half the team are getting there.

Liam Hodgins: Button doesn't make it into Q3 but he's looking competitive. Could there be points tomorrow for McLaren & Jenson? I hope so!

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A cracking overhead picture of Nico Rosberg's Mercedes, sparks kicking up as he pushed a bit too hard on his last flying lap in Q2.

What does Q3 have in store for us?

Pirelli

Jenson Button is gutted. "Oh that is painful! That would have been easy. Sorry guys," he says over team radio. There wasn't much in it, with the Briton missing out by one tenths of a second.

IN

1) Nico Rosberg 2) Lewis Hamilton 3) Sebastian Vettel 4) Kimi Raikkonen 5) Daniil Kvyat 6) Max Verstappen 7) Daniel Ricciardo 8) Carlos Sainz 9) Pastor Maldonado 10) Sergio Perez

OUT

11) Romain Grosjean 12) Jenson Button 13) Nico Hulkenberg 14) Felipe Massa 15) Fernando Alonso

Chequered flag

Nico Rosberg finishes fastest in the second part of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix.

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"Nico Rosberg was well safe but pushing to try and find where he can unleash that last bit of performance and he made a mistake."

Yellow flag

Yellow flag and it is for Nico Rosberg. He takes a brief trip down the escape road at Ste Devote on his last lap of Q2.

Lotus

Lotus F1 Team: Pit stops for both our boys, new super soft @pirellisport boots round.

Daniel Ricciardo needs an improved lap but his Red Bull team-mate Daniil Kvyat has been going well so far. He has the fifth fastest time.

EPA

James Allen

BBC Radio 5 live commentator in Monaco

"It's hardly surprising they [Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg] are tense - given what's a stake."

Williams

Williams: Felipe heads out for his second run and final run of Q2.

Just under three minutes left and in trouble are Daniel Ricciardo, Jenson Button, Felipe Massa and Nico Hulkenberg.

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Eddie Marlin: The jury is out for me on Monaco GP. I don't like going into any race knowing that the order of qualifying is how the race will end.

Max Baggins-Craig: Such a shame to see Alonso go out, did so well last time & this time in qualifying, hopefully better days will arrive.

Vicky Sanderson: The Toro Rosso drivers are proving that doing their homework pays off; really really impressed with them this weekend.

Mercedes team radio

Lewis Hamilton: "Let's calm down and reset for this run. That was a really bad run. No gaps..."

Nico Rosberg's time is fastest than his pole-winning lap (1:15.989) in 2014.

Lewis Hamilton may be third fastest, but his best effort is exactly the same as Sebastian Vettel in P2, a 1:16.224. Hamilton, though was not happy with his latest effort...

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"Looking at the replay of Fernando Alonso's incident and it looks like a major electronic failure I would suggest."

Fine work from the marshals once again as they swiftly roll Fernando Alonso's McLaren off the circuit.

AP

Meanwhile, Mercedes have sent out Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton and the former is flying, putting down a 1:15.471 to go fastest. Hamilton slots in P3 with 1:16.224.

Alonso out!

Formula 1

Sebastian Vettel puts the first time on the board with 1:18.721 but there is disaster for Fernando Alonso! He comes to a halt at Ste Devote. That's qualifying over for the Spaniard. There's smoke coming out of his McLaren.

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator

"Just to explain that Nico Rosberg message. That is to avoid the situation like last year, when they were fighting to get out on track. Both drivers have the choice to pick who is the first out in qualifying. Rather than doing it alternatively, they would pick the circuit they want to go out first on and this circuit has fallen to Lewis Hamilton to have that choice."

Mercedes team radio

Nico Rosberg: "Lewis is slowing down in the pit lane - just keep that in mind with the gap between the two of us."

AFP

Second qualifying starts

The timer starts ticking down from 15 minutes and Q2 is under way. Sebastian Vettel is the first to head out, with half the field swiftly joining him.

Only the Ferraris and the Mercedes avoided using the supersoft tyre in Q1. Everyone is out on them in this session.

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Jeremiah Kariuki: This seems to be back to the Mercs on the pole! Ros topping Lewis and a good second over 3rd, Vettel.

Rob Heyes: Starting a Monaco GP drinking game. Shot every time the phrase "in the principality" is used this weekend.

Daniel Day: Well done McLaren both cars into Q2, is it possible that one of the cars get into Q3?

Fernando Alonso does just enough to squeeze into Q2, but it was much more comfortable for his McLaren team-mate Jenson Button, who was eighth fastest.

Mercedes once again top the timesheet but impressive stuff once again from the Toro Rossos, with Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz third and fifth fastest respectively. Evidently those 200 laps done in the simulator have been put to good use.

IN

1) Nico Rosberg 2) Lewis Hamilton 3) Max Verstappen 4) Daniil Kvyatt 5) Carlos Sainz 6) Daniel Ricciardo 7) Sergio Perez 8) Jenson Button (pictured) 9) Sebastian Vettel 10) Nico Hukenberg

11) Pastor Maldonado 12) Kimi Raikkonen 13) Felipe Massa 14) Romain Grosjean 15) Fernando Alonso

EPA

OUT

16) Felipe Nasr 17) Valtteri Bottas 18) Marcus Ericsson 19) Will Stevens 20) Robert Merhi

Chequered flag

Nico Rosberg finishes fastest in the first part of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix.

Chequered flag

Chequered flag comes out Felipe Nasr, Valtteri Bottas, Marcus Ericsson, Will Stevens and Roberto Merhi are the five in trouble. Fernando Alonso is 14th fastest, can anyone sneak a quick lap in and put the McLaren in trouble?

Carlos Sainz goes fourth fastest after his team-mate Max Verstappen jumped up to P3 but Sainz could be in a bit of bother for apparently failing to stop at the FIA weighbridge.

Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg, who earlier touched a barrier at Turn 5 and had to return to the pits, drops into the elimination zone, but is back out on the circuit and has the chance to sneak into Q2...

Four minutes left of Q1 and in danger at the moment are Felipe Massa, Valtteri Bottas, Marcus Ericsson, Roberto Merhi and Will Stevens.

Jennie Gow

BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter in Monaco

"A couple of spots of light rain. It is tiny but it is definitely on its way."

James Allen

BBC Radio 5 live commentator in Monaco

"It's so crowded around here - no wider than a tennis court."

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Fred Owen: Vettel looking promising for this one, wanting to see someone pip Nico Rosberg at his home GP.

Mark_Horner: Hopefully Lewis Hamilton for pole, to try stop Rosberg from overtaking him tomorrow. Monaco is a difficult track to overtake on :)

Vicky Sanderson: Anybody else worried why Williams are so far down the order? Sincerely hoping they are sandbagging...

Nico Rosberg clocks a new benchmark time with 1:16.528, 0.060s faster than Lewis Hamilton. Sebastian Vettel improves his time but remains third and is a second off the pace of the Mercedes. As expected, Mercedes had more in hand than they showed in practice.

Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso has made his first appearance in qualifying, supersofts bolted on.

Pirelli

The two Mercedes take up a familiar position at the top of the timesheet, with Lewis Hamilton (pictured) shading his team-mate by one tenth of a second to go fastest with 1:16.884.

Rosberg is second fastest, ahead of Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.

AFP

Jennie Gow

BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter in Monaco

"There's already needle between Hamilton and Rosberg, as Rosberg tries to overtaken him and Hamilton is having none of it at all."

AP

Plenty of fans in attendance, all keen to see more action than they witnessed on Thursday, when second practice was largely washed out.

Max Verstappen is the early pacesetter with 1:19.803. He, like most, has opted to go out on the soft compound tyre, apart from Marcus Ercisson and the two Manors.

Fernando Alonso is one of three drivers yet to emerge on to the circuit with four minutes gone.

Max Verstappen, whose practice was cut short earlier this morning after damaging his Toro Rosso, is straight out on to the circuit along with team-mate Carlos Sainz.

Daniel Ricciardo, Will Stevens and the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg also head out. Busy, busy, busy!

First qualifying starts

Green light and 18 minutes of Q1 is under way. Remember we lose five drivers in this part of qualifying.

Engines are firing up. Here we go!

James Allen

BBC Radio 5 live commentator in Monaco

"Lots of tension in the garages this morning as we get to the business end of this Monaco Grand Prix weekend. This is the crunch moment. It is about Hamilton, it is about Rosberg, it is about the grudge match that hangs over from last year, when Hamilton felt Rosberg cheated him out of pole position."

Manor

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Kyle Mclaren: Vettel showed some great pace in #FP3 so hoping he can continue that speed and momentum into qualifying.

Tristan Cooper: The key to better F1 is not higher speeds, it's closer racing and more overtaking ON THE TRACK, not in the pits.

Adeel Ejaz: Surely, I can't be the only one disappointed with the #MonacoGP changes. Where is the challenge when the walls are pushed back?

Most pole positions in Monaco

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Ayrton Senna was the qualifying king in Monaco, securing pole on five occasions (1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991). Nico Rosberg is the man who seems to have got the twisty streets nailed of the present day drivers, snatching pole in 2013 and 2014. A hat-trick on the cards today?

Monaco GP - all you need to know

Formula 1

Do you know how much a hotel room with a view of the circuit will cost? Or how many grands prix a Monaco resident could expect to see in their lifetime? The answers to those stats, and plenty of other interesting Monaco facts, can be found in our handy Monaco Grand Prix preview.

Lotus

It is a bit cloudy in Monaco with some blue sky occasionally breaking through. Dry conditions expected throughout the session.

All the drivers are suiting up, with one hour of qualifying getting under way in nine minutes.

Allan McNish

BBC Radio 5 live analyst in Monaco

Allan McNish

"Fifteen minutes to go before a spicy MonacoGP qualifying, Vettel was fastest in last practice......."

Celeb spot?

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One thing that has been absent (so far) in Monaco is the presence of celebrities. Apparently there is someone from One Direction knocking around, but other than that, celeb spotting has been sparse.

Instead, here's some archive pictures of the rich and the famous at the Monaco GP with film stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon alongside Bernie Ecclestone in 2004.

State of Brad Pitt's camera...

Getty Images

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The legendary Jim Clark holds the record for most Monaco pole positions without winning the race - four.

BBC

As well as following this live text, you can also listen to BBC Radio 5 live commentary on qualifying from 13:00 BST, which will also be available via the 'Live Coverage' tab on this page.

Then, at 17:10 BST, catch the qualifying highlights on BBC One. Saturday's sorted.

Get involved #bbcf1

SB78: Everybody Hurts - Jenson Button

Leo Allsop: Maybe...Heaven's not for Sainz (A-Ha) Massa Destruction (Faithless) or even New Love Grosjean Trees (Babyshambles).

L Higgins: Save all your options for me - Brotherhood of Man

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Nico Rosberg can become one of only two drivers to win from pole three years running in Monaco IF he comes out on top in qualifying later.

Flashback to a flashpoint

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Qualifying for last year's Monaco Grand Prix was a flashpoint in the Lewis Hamilton-Nico Rosberg rivalry.

Prior to arriving in the principality it had, on the whole, been a very friendly tussle between the pair, but it took a bitter turn in Monaco as Rosberg secured a controversial pole position.

Rosberg went off the track in the closing stages of qualifying, bringing out the yellow flag and ruining Hamilton's final effort.

Will there be any drama involving the two today?

Welcome to the Manor

Manor

Prince Albert of Monaco is in the Manor.

Well, he's been in the Manor garage this morning anyway.

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer in Monaco

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"The atmosphere is building ahead of arguably the most important qualifying session of the year. Who will be on pole? Lewis Hamilton has looked stunning for most of the weekend, but was less comfortable in final practice on the super-soft tyres that will be used in qualifying.

"Can Sebastian Vettel mix it with the Mercedes, or even pip them, in the Ferrari? Daniel Ricciardo believes he has a shout of the second row. Both Toro Rosso drivers could be there or thereabouts, and at least one of the McLarens - probably Fernando Alonso's - looks like it could break into the top 10 for the first time this year.

"It should be a thriller."

Making your mind up

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No Bucks Fizz in Monaco, but who will be drinking champagne on Sunday as the Monaco GP winner?

Back with us? Good, then how about getting your views on all things Formula 1 here on this very page?

Who do you think will secure pole position and why? What rules would you bring in to make Formula 1 more exciting and, if you were with us through final practice, you will also have seen we have had a bit of a Eurovision Song Contest theme going on. Send us your song titles with an F1 twist.

Get involved #bbcf1, text us on 81111 (UK only) and have your say on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Hill the Triple Crown king

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Graham Hill, who won the Monaco GP five times, speaking with actress Britt Ekland and husband Peter Sellers.

Along with the Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans 24 Hours, the Monaco Grand Prix is part of a Triple Crown of motorsport's most famous races.

Graham Hill

Graham Hill winning the Indy 500 in 1966

Only one driver has won all three - Graham Hill, who won the Monaco GP on five occasions, finished first at the Indy 500 in 1966 and the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1972.

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Graham Hill added Le Mans 24 hours to his titles in 1972

Monaco memories

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In total, Ferrari have taken eight wins in Monaco. Not that many considering there have been 61 races in the principality, but they have been on the podium on plenty of occasions, 48 times to be exact.

Here is a picture from one of those eight wins - Niki Lauda in his Ferrari at the 1975 Monaco Grand Prix, a race he would win. In total, Lauda triumphed twice at the iconic circuit.

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer in Monaco

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"In Monaco, Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari are sticking with the major aerodynamic revisions introduced in Barcelona, where he continues to insist the team 'underperformed'.

"There is a growing sense, though, that Ferrari may have flattered to deceive in some of the early races this season and that Mercedes may now be stretching their legs a little.

"'We need to make sure we start finishing ahead of Mercedes to talk about the championship,' Vettel admitted earlier this week. 'We have surprised a lot of people being where we are now. Ferrari has made the biggest step. Our ambition is to be champions but we have to be realistic and not forget where you are coming from."

Hello! Welcome to our build up and live coverage of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix.

It was not a clean sweep of Mercedes dominance in practice as Sebastian Vettel finished fastest in FP3 this morning.

But, as ever, Mercedes have most likely not shown all their cards, and will have more in hand in qualifying which gets under way at 13:00 BST.

Ferrari's long wait

Fourteen years.

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That is how long it has been since the famous red of a Ferrari took the chequered flag and won the Monaco Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher the victor in the principality back in 2001.

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Will Sebastian Vettel move a step closer to ending Ferrari's long wait by securing pole position today?

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Right then, I'll leave you with Andrew Benson's final practice report and that is that from us for this morning's coverage.

We'll be back at 12:00 BST for all the build-up to qualifying. Tara for now.

Get involved #bbcf1

Leo Allsop: "Kimi all your lovin'" - ZZ Top

David Batema: Accidents Will Verstappen - Elvis Costello and the Attractions.

Matt Cork: Message in a Bottas

You lot are too good, I spent ages thinking of one and all I could come up with was Massa-chusetts by the Bee Gees...

We're just about done with FP3 coverage, but before we do go, a final few excellent suggestions from you lot in relation to our Eurovision-F1 Get Involved fusion from earlier...

The importance of pole

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A bit of frustration, then, for Lewis Hamilton, who is no doubt desperate to get pole in Monaco, but there is a bit of good of news from the past if he fails to achieve it.

The only time the pole sitter has failed to go on and win the race in the last 10 years was in 2008, when Hamilton himself won from third.

Pole has not always been decisive at Monaco, with just 28 drivers having won from the front of the grid in 61 races.

David Coulthard

BBC F1 co-commentator in Monaco

David Coulthard

"Things just got a wee bit more interesting in Monaco ahead of qualifying."

Allan McNish

BBC Radio 5 live analyst in Monaco

"I don't think it will be quite as clear cut as some thought maybe on Thursday. Sebastian Vettel sits at the top of the timesheet and shows that, in whatever way, Ferrari are in the mix."

Reuters

Lewis Hamilton said in his column earlier this week that he is after the perfect weekend in Monaco, well he clearly was not 100% happy with how final practice went.

"Something not right with the car," he complained over team radio after the chequered flag.

FP3 RESULT

1) Sebastian Vettel 2) Nico Rosberg 3) Lewis Hamilton 4) Daniel Ricciardo 5) Carlos Sainz 6) Kimi Raikkonen 7) Daniil Kvyat 8) Jenson Button 9) Max Verstappen 10) Romain Grosjean

11) Sergio Perez 12) Pastor Maldonado 13) Nico Hulkenberg 14) Fernando Alonso 15) Valtteri Bottas 16) Felipe Massa 17) Felipe Nasr 18) Marcus Ericsson 19) Will Stevens 20) Roberto Merhi

Chequered flag

SEBASTIAN VETTEL FINISHES FASTEST IN FINAL PRACTICE FOR THE MONACO GRAND PRIX.

Pastor Maldonado is straight onto the escape road after missing his braking point at Turn One, while traffic on a busy circuit is causing one or two problems as Sergio Perez almost hits the back of Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari as it enters the pits. Perez does well, though, to avoid contact with both Vettel and the barriers.

Seconds remaining and Sebastian Vettel leads ahead of Nico Rosberg, with Lewis Hamilton third fastest.

Allan McNish

BBC Radio 5 live analyst

"I believe Mercedes have a little bit in hand that they will drop on to table in qualifying this afternoon."

Sebastian Vettel is out for there final few minutes and he's purple-purple-purple through the three sectors. Perfect lap and he jumps into P1 with 1:16.143.

Nico Rosberg responds by posting his fastest time, but not as quick as Vettel's, two tenths slower in fact.

Formula 1

Nico Rosberg puts down a 1:16.770, just 0.065 off Lewis Hamilton's benchmark. The world champion is purple through sector two but the rest of his lap lets him down. "Lost a lot of grip," he says over team radio.

Get involved #bbcf1

Jane Preston: 'Hungry Like The Toto Wolff', 'Push the Button'

Dobs™: Fast Car by Traci Chapman

Hasnain Aslam: Leave me alone by Kimi

Just Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Max Verstappen not out on the circuit at the moment. Everyone else is out there on supersofts with eight minutes left.

Mercedes: "Track is clear", time for another option run for #LH44 and #NR6!...

Force India

Force India: Nico heads back in; the crew now working on the cars to prepare for the final run of FP3

"Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are having a fresh set of supersoft tyres put on, in fact Rosberg is just having the tyre warmers taken off and he is about to head back out.

"This is about to be the first proper qualy spec run of the weekend. How hard do you push? It is only practice and I remember Fernando Alonso shunted in FP3 a few years back and was not able to take part in qualifying."

Monaco memories

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There's not too many cars out on track at the moment, so before it does get busy how about a cheeky trip down memory lane?

This is quite the hair raising shot as David Coulthard finds himself facing a throng of F1 cars hurtling towards him after he crashed at the start of the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix.

Coulthard's Williams was sent spinning after being clipped by the Ferraris of Jean Alesi and Gerhard Berger behind him. Unsurprisingly it led to a red flag stopping the race before Michael Schumacher went on to win after the restart.

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer

"I've just come back from watching out on track at the Tabac-Swimming Pool area. This has been changed for this year's race, with the outside barrier moved inwards by 1.5m. This has slowed Tabac but made the first Swimming Pool chicane - the best corner on the track - faster.

It feels edgier, too, now there is a barrier on the first apex - taking it closer to when there used to be a concrete wall there, rather than a stand-alone kerb as there has been for the last few years. I stood for a while with former F1 driver Alexander Wurz, who was speculating that the changes might have made Swimming Pool One flat.

'I'll have to ask the drivers,' Wurz said, 'but if so, it's not as much of a challenge - before there was a lift, which destabilises the car and makes it harder.' He paused, then with a twinkle: 'Still cool, though.' It is indeed an epic piece of race track, through which you really get a sense of the incredible speed of an F1 car and the other-worldly abilities of the drivers."

Most drivers are back in the pits at the moment as we head into the final 15 minutes of this session. Daniel Ricciardo takes advantage of the clear circuit to leap up from 14th to fifth 1:17.571.

Jennie Gow

BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter in Monaco

"I would say Max has done a Pastor Maldonado, if you remember from Spain when the end plate of the rear wing came off and was hanging down."

Allan McNish

BBC Radio 5 live analyst in Monaco

"Max lost the rear as he turned the corner, quite slow into the barriers but it took off the rear wing section on the left but it looks like minimum damage. This is when people really push with 20 minutes until the end. You throw caution to the wind."

Spin!

Formula 1

Max Verstappen spins

One last timed lap from Nico Rosberg on the soft tyre as he is asked to come back in to pop on the supersoft for qualifying sims. Rosberg is currently third fastest, with Sebastian Vettel splitting the Mercedes.

A spin for Max Verstappen at the final corner, the rear of his Toro Rosso hitting the barrier. He had just gone fifth fastest, pushing a bit too hard?

Get involved #bbcf1

Adz: How about 'My Heart will Grosjean'

AzifectLevi: Jenson Button - Don't give up by The Noisettes

RightTurnLover: Will we see Red Bull 'Rise Like A Phoenix'?

Jennie Gow

BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter in Monaco

"I am down at McLaren at the moment and Fernando Alonso is not 100% happy, he thinks he can get more out of the car."

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer in Monaco

"Fernando Alonso had a strong Thursday, running in the top 10 pretty much throughout and ending up 11th and eighth in the two sessions - and second quickest in the wet late on. The Spaniard, though, is getting a bit bored with being asked when that first top 10 finish will come. 'I really don't care about the positions,' he said. 'I want to win the world championship. It will not be this year. This is an important test. If it was eighth, 10th, 12th, it will not change my life.'

"McLaren have no upgrades in Monaco but the lack of straights here is helping the team. 'This is a very low power effect circuit and the engine counts very little here,' Alonso said. 'Very short straights, the chassis is responding well all through the season, hopefully we can put some good times but in qualifying everyone seems to improve and we don't know until Saturday afternoon.'

"Team-mate Jenson Button struggled with brake temperature issues and also lacks track time after a late start to P1. "Monaco is a unique circuit and you need to build up. you can't just go straight out and go flat out. You need a lot of laps and I didn't get them so Saturday morning is going to be very important for me.'"

AFP

BBC

A reminder of the order than with 27 minutes left. Lewis Hamilton fastest with that 1:16.705 he clocked earlier, ahead of Nico Rosberg, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard's team-mate Jenson Button is seventh fastest. Could the McLarens go well here?

The Marshals are indeed very good as they are swiftly on the scene and wheel away Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari. Minutes later we are green again. Top work.

Tom Clarkson

BBC F1 pit-lane reporter in Monaco

"I was speaking to Charlie Whiting earlier and he says the marshals here in Monaco are some of the best. The reasons he says is that the marshals come here and do it every year, some have been doing it for 25 years and that is why they are so good."

Get involved #bbcf1

A bit of fun for a Saturday morning, in the spirit of tonight's Eurovision Song Contest, we have been asking you for F1-related song titles. Here's a couple:

Chris Miller: Savage Garden - Trulli Madly Deeply

Steve Lank: For Pastor Maldonado how about Crash by The Primitives?

Christopher: Fernando by ABBA for Alonso.

Red flag

Red flag as Kimi Raikkonen, on the supersoft tyre, slides wide and smacks the barrier at Ste Devote: "I think I punctured the rear," he says over the radio.

Get involved #bbcf1

Also don't forget to keep on sending up your suggestions to make F1 more exciting.

We had a great response on Thursday from you lot. You never know, you might even influence the powers that be, as it is all still very much up in the air in terms of which direction the sport is going in.

Send us your suggestions to #bbcf1, text in on 81111 (UK only) and also post them on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

Pastor Maldonado is not the only one to get some new boots on, with a flurry of other drivers strapping on the red-banded tyres, Fernando Alonso, Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen among them.

Nico Rosberg goes in the opposite direction, swapping from supersoft to soft.

Put your red shoes on

Lotus

Lotus: Pastor, red shoes, let's go!

Allan McNish

BBC Radio 5 live analyst in Monaco

"Kimi Raikkonen is 1.2s behind Lewis Hamilton but is still on the harder tyres, it looks like Ferrari might be on some sort of game, we don't know what game because we don't know the fuel loads but we should know what sort of game in the next 30 minutes."

Kimi Raikkonen is going well on the soft compound tyre, he's lapped just 1.3s slower than Lewis Hamilton's time on the supersofts and is currently in P3 with 1:18.092.

"I think we should box and try the other tyres," he says over team radio.

Jennie Gow

BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter in Monaco

"I am on Max Verstappen watch and came down to look at the chicane, he just made a bit of mistake, a big lock-up, and is over the bumps but you have to learn how not to do it, to know how to do it."

AFP

Even faster from Lewis Hamilton as he swoops his way around the tight circuit in 1:16.705, that's 0.053s faster than his FP2 timesheet topping time from last year.

Meanwhile. Fernando Alonso, on the soft tyres, is 14th fastest with his first time effort - 1:19.835.

Friday fun day

Getty Images

It looks like a flyaway visit to Cannes on Thursday night has not had a negative impact on Lewis Hamilton, he's bang on it. Speaking of Hamilton's visit to the film festival, here is a little insight into what the other drivers got up to, with having Friday off...

Nicop Rosberg

...Hamilton's team-mate spent Friday playing five-a-side football....

Toro Rosso

...too young to rent a car, so Max Verstappen spent the day on a boat.

AFP

Things are a changing on the timesheet, the only constant being Lewis Hamilton in P1.

He's purple through all three sectors and improves with a 1:17.021. Nico Rosberg leaps up to P2, eight tenths of a second slower than his team-mate.

Daniil Kvyat, meanwhile, is third fastest with 1:18.681.

Get involved #bbcf1

A bit of fun for a Saturday morning, in the spirit of tonight's Eurovision Song Contest, we have been asking you for F1-related song titles. Here's a couple:

Dan Pearson: MC Lewis 'hammer' time - You can't touch this (he sings it to Nico every week)

Xavier Davis: Push The (Jenson) Button.

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer in Monaco

"Nico Rosberg blamed traffic for a disjointed day on Thursday and said he 'didn't get it all together'. In truth, though, the 0.7secs gap between himself and Hamilton on second practice looked representative on the day of the way the pair were driving.

"An example was in the early laps of first practice, when Hamilton was seconds clear of the field, and Rosberg clipped the wall at Tabac on the next lap. A coincidence? Perhaps. But it was hard to get away from the impression that Rosberg was chasing a moving target.

"The German is good around the streets, though, so will be expected to rebound strongly on Saturday. Team boss Toto Wolff said he expected an 'intense battle' between the two drivers through the weekend."

Bosh. No messing about from Lewis Hamilton as the world champion goes round in 1:19.074 on the supersoft tyre, straight into P1 and two seconds faster than Sergio Perez in P2, ahead of Pastor Maldonado and Carlos Sainz.

Nico Rosberg takes things a little easier than his Mercedes team-mate, posting a modest 1:26.342.

No surprise to see drivers immediately getting a first timed lap under their belts as Carlos Sainz gets up and running with a 1:23.3987. He is immediately bumped down to P2 by his team-mate Max Verstappen, who clocks a 1:23.846.

Tom Clarkson

BBC F1 pit-lane reporter in Monaco

"Interestingly, Mercedes are straight out on the supersoft tyre, very different strategy to everyone else. It is all about maximising the performance of that tyre for Mercedes, they are not wasting any time."

Did you know?

Formula 1

The Monaco Grand Prix circuit is not only the shortest on the calendar at 3.34km but also has the sport's slowest, tightest corner. Turn 6 is taken at just 50 km/h (31 mph).

Like much of the circuit, the corner has remained largely unchanged over the years, as can be seen from the below picture from the 1976 race.

Getty Images

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer in Monaco

"Red Bull have their floating 'energy station' in Monaco as usual and there was a general optimism at both teams housed on there after Thursday practice. Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo believed they would be able to be third best at least - with Williams looking like they were struggling with a lack of downforce - and said he hoped he might be able to get ahead of one of the Ferraris as well.

"'Besides Mercedes it is pretty close,' the Australian said. 'I think Ferrari obviously still have the edge but with a perfect qualifying, we can maybe try to split them. Don't get me wrong, to get in front of Ferrari will still be quite an effort but anything can happen around here, it is not impossible. We should be ahead of the Williams at least. Toro Rosso look quick again, but we should be alright.'

"Team-mate Daniil Kvyat is showing signs of improvement after a difficult start to the season and was fifth fastest in second practice."

Go! Go! Go!

The green light is on and the Red Bull of Daniel Ricciardo is the first out on the circuit. Others swiftly follow suit.

Tom Clarkson

BBC F1 pit-lane reporter in Monaco

"There is going to be so much work to do in this session. There will be a lot of action in this session. They are all going out on the soft tyre at the moment, the harder of the tyres here."

Can you hear the drums Fernando (Alonso)?

Getty Images

James Hunt was partial to indulging in a sing song now and then.

Monaco may not be in it, and you apparently can't watch it in the principality, but for millions of people across Europe tonight is about one thing and one thing only - the Eurovision Song Contest.

It might not be to everyone's taste, but it doesn't mean we can't get into the spirit of things and have our own little Eurovision-Formula 1 fusion of fun right here.

I want you to send us song titles, but with a Formula 1 theme. To kick things off, here's a belter, courtesy of BBC colleague James McMath: Vettel the devil you know. Genius.

Send us your suggestions to #bbcf1, text in on 81111 (UK only) and also post them on the BBC Sport Facebook page.

James Allen in Monaco

BBC Radio 5 live commentator in Monaco

"It is nothing new having a supersoft tyre but what is different is that it has had the most changes to it. The teams did have some running on it in testing in Barcelona but that is not the conditions that really demands the tyre. It is the low grip circuits like this one. We expect it to be the main race tyre."

The drivers are climbing into their cars and the circuit will be open in five minutes. This one hour session gives the teams and drivers the chance for a run out on Pirelli's supersoft tyre, which is making its season debut in Monaco and we did not get the chance to see it on Thursday because of the washout.

"Monaco is hell"

Getty Images

Not everyone is a fan of the Monaco Grand Prix, just ask former world champion Jacques Villeneuve.

The 44-year-old lives in Monaco but never won there during his racing career.

"The driving is amazing, it's the weekend that's a pain," Villeneuve says. "You can't sleep at night because there's music everywhere until six in the morning. It's hell to work, so that's the part that's not likeable because it's not like the good old days where you went to a gala the night before and got drunk and raced anyway. So Monaco is hell."

Fancy a house swap for the weekend Jacques? Salford is lovely at this time of the year...

Lotus

Lotus: Weather update ahead of FP3 from our mini friends, #MiniPastor & #MiniRomain: "It's a bit meh."

What's the weather like?

BBC weatherman Ian Fergusson: Dry conditions expected for FP3 & qualifying, with cloud cover varying & at times more extensive this afternoon; 19-20C.

Masters of Monaco

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Ayrton Senna holds the record for the most wins at Monaco, winning on the street circuit six times in seven years between 1987 and 1993. Britain's Graham Hill was known as "Mr Monaco" as he recorded five wins in the 1960s.

Incidentally, it was on this date - the 23 May - that Senna won the last of his six Monaco GPs in 1993.

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer in Monaco

"There were stand-out performances from both Toro Rosso drivers in Thursday practice. Max Verstappen got all the attention for being second fastest in first practice having never raced at Monaco before, but team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr pipped him in the second session, when they were sixth and seventh fastest.

"Jenson Button said both men had done a 'great job'. And that was certainly the case even though the team had given them relatively low fuel in order to prepare them for the crucial qualifying session on Saturday. 'What we have to do is do laps and to push and to feel the car at the limit,' Sainz said. 'So what the team is giving us and what I am asking for is laps, laps, laps to feel the car as I am going to find it in qually.'

"Both he and Verstappen said they owed a lot to Red Bull's simulator, in which they had done about 200 laps in preparation, and Verstappen said a podium was not impossible 'if we have a lot of luck' - although he admitted 'Mercedes and Ferrari should be ahead'."

Beatles banter...

F1Funnies

Wonder what the folk working on the Monaco Grand Prix get up to on a Friday? Well wonder no more.

This picture provides a little insight how some pass the time, with these inventive stewards opting to recreate the famous Beatles Abbey Road scene.

Top work, lads.

Sauber

Sauber: It's getting busy in the pit lane. FP3 is about to start in 20 minutes.

"A bit of magic with Verstappen"

James Allen

BBC Radio 5 live commentator in Monaco

"Lewis Hamilton looks what you expect from Hamilton, he was quick from the get-go, while the rain meant we didn't get to see everything that everyone had to offer. but what we did get to see and what we were privileged to witness was Max Verstappen.

"It was the speed of his hands that caught the eye, the way the car changed direction. You can see that bit of magic. Yes it was only practice and we don't know how much fuel everyone was running but to come second quickest to Lewis Hamilton, I saw something very special on Thursday."

What's coming up

A quick reminder, then, of what's to come today before we crack on.

Third and final practice for tomorrow's race gets under way at 10:00 BST and lasts for one hour. Break for lunch and then qualifying at 13:00 BST.

You can listen to commentary on final practice from 09:55 BST via the live coverage tab on this page, while qualifying will be live on BBC Radio 5 live.

Andrew Benson

Chief F1 writer in Monaco

"Lewis Hamilton was on spectacular form on Thursday in Monaco. Practice was truncated by rain in the second session, but when the track was dry, there was no catching the world champion. Hamilton arrived here determined to take his first win since 2008 - and to stop team-mate Nico Rosberg winning a third - and that resolve was clear in his driving.

"He was on full attack from the moment he hit the track, and the difference between him and his colleagues in those early laps was striking. "'I had a great first day here,' Hamilton said. 'Every year, it stuns me how fast we have to think out there, with so much information coming at you, and you have to be more reactive and agile than anywhere else.

"'The target is always to get on the pace as quick as you can and to be very specific and precise in the set-up changes you make, so you don't go down the wrong path.' Hamilton said he was 'determined to pick up on Saturday where he left off'."

Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen

Hello and welcome to Monaco Grand Prix qualifying day!

After Formula 1 enjoyed the usual Monaco day off on Friday, drivers and fans alike will no doubt be hoping for plenty of on-track action today after Thursday's rain-affected practice sessions.

With second practice largely spent watching people huddled under umbrellas and slow motion replays of seagulls flying on the television, it was left to first practice to provide us with the most entertainment.

Max Verstappen certainly caught the eye and optimism will be high that he can hand Toro Rosso a high finish on Sunday, but it was a dominant-looking Lewis Hamilton who put down the early marker in what is likely to be another tussle with his team-mate Nico Rosberg for pole.

Too young to rent a car...

Getty Images

Whatever Max Verstappen did with his day off in Monaco on Friday, it would not have involved renting a car. He's too young for that.

The 17-year-old is, however, more than capable of guiding the hulking beast that is a Formula 1 car round the principality at speeds of more than 200mph.

Verstappen wowed observers in Thursday's practice with a fine debut performance on Monaco's unforgiving street circuit.

Can he steal the show again today?