Image source, Reuters

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.

Leclerc, the form driver all weekend and looking at one with the circuit in his Ferrari, beat the Australian by 0.154 seconds.

World champion Max Verstappen, struggling all weekend in his Red Bull, could manage only sixth place after hitting the wall at the first corner on his final lap.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was third, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Mercedes George Russell, whose team-mate Lewis Hamilton was seventh.

The scale of Leclerc’s achievement was apparent from the lap times - his margin over Piastri was bigger than the gap separating the McLaren driver from Verstappen in sixth.

Image source, Reuters

A nice moment between dad and lad.

Charles Leclerc has climbed one mountain this weekend and will start the Monaco Grand Prix on pole position.

His next Everest to conquer is actually securing the race win he so desperately wants at the Principality. Will he finally succeed on home soil?

We'll be up and running from 13:00 BST on Sunday to build up to the glitz and glamour of round eight in Monte Carlo.

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday and see you tomorrow!

George Russell will start in P5 for the race tomorrow, he told Sky Sports: "Really strong result today, two hundredths from P3 which is obviously so frustrating when it's so close but we are making huge progress, and the team have been working so hard, we've brought some new bits that have been on the car this weekend and it's been really great.

"I'm hoping this is going to be a bit of a turning point for us when Monaco has definitely never been a strength for our car."

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew Priestley: A 1:10:270 lap around the streets of Monaco is seriously impressive.

Matthew Murnaghan: Let's hope Leclerc can break his Monaco curse and win tomorrow!

The team will back tonight with a review of today's qualifying session, but until then, have a listen to the Chequered Flag podcast Monaco preview.

The team recount their favourite Monaco memories and explain why the debate about whether Monaco still deserves its place on the calendar is a non-starter

They also hear from Lando Norris and discuss whether Red Bull should be concerned with the resurgence of McLaren.

Listen on BBC Sounds here

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur spoke to Sky Sports post-qualifying. He said: "The race is tomorrow [and we know] that you don't score points on Saturday that you just have to stay calm and prepare for tomorrow.

"It's a good step and the pole at Monaco is always the best position for the race.

"The challenge is to continue to improve with the track and this is not easy because when you are leading the field, and quite often the sensation is it's going well and you don't have to push much more, but with the track evolution you have to improve each lap and it will be like this tomorrow."

Image source, Reuters

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, who will start third on the grid: “Overall, it was an improvement for me, I have been struggling all weekend with the confidence I’m feeling with the car.

“To step it up and be P3 was a step forward, obviously not entirely happy, I wish I could have been fighting pole position, but the truth is Charles has been doing an outstanding job, the car has been amazing all weekend and he managed to extract the most of it and I’m happy for him.”

On his long run pace ahead of tomorrow's race: “Yesterday I looked very quick on the long runs so for some reason I’ve been struggling on the short runs, and the long runs seem much better which is something we need to look into. I’m confident tomorrow the pace in the long run will be good, it’s just a matter of track position.

"It’s Monaco anything can happen like always and we will give it our best shot, but the priority is to win with Charles.”

Image source, EPA

McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who will start on the front row in P2: "I think if you took the second part of my first lap in Q3, and the first half of the second one, it would've been enough. A couple of mistakes at the end, but credit to Charles - he's been incredibly quick all weekend.

"At certain points, I don't think anyone thought we were going to get close to him. Nice starting on the front row. I feel like it's been a good weekend in terms of building momentum and what better colours to do it in than this [special Senna-inspired yellow and green livery].

On what he can do in tomorrow's race: "A good start always helps. And if you can get into the lead, then you can control it easily around here, so that's probably the first goal.

"If not, then we're strategy, because as optimistic as I want to be, driving around here is not easy. We'll try are best starting from a good spot."

Image source, Getty Images

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who secures his third pole position in Monaco: “It was nice, the feeling after qualifying and after the qualifying lap is very special here. I’m very happy about the lap, the excitement is so high that it feels really good.

“However, I know more often than not that qualifying is not everything as much as it helps for Sunday’s race, we need to put everything together and in the past years we didn’t manage to do so.

“We are a stronger team and in a stronger position so I’m sure we can achieve great things tomorrow and a win is the target.”

On the race tomorrow: “I need a good launch off the grid and once we do that hopefully Carlos can have a great start and follow me into Turn One and be one-two and we can manage that as a team, that would be a perfect scenario. Whatever happens we just need to bring that victory home.”

This is Charles Leclerc's third pole position in Monaco but the Ferrari driver has never finished on the podium on home soil.

Image source, Reuters

Charles Leclerc is standing on the balcony while the other drivers finish their post-qualifying interviews, looking out on his adoring fans. Surely this has to be the year the Monegasque driver brings home a Monaco Grand Prix victory?

The crowds went absolutely crazy when he crossed the line and they could see Verstappen in trouble and they are celebrating that pole position.

11. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

12. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

13. Daniel Ricciardo (RB)

14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

15. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

16. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

17. Logan Sargeant (Williams)

18. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

19. Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)

20. Zhou Guanyu (Sauber)

Max Verstappen was very frustrated with his Red Bull over the team radio as he wrestled with the car pretty much from the opening corner on his final flying lap.

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 1:10.270

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

4. Lando Norris (McLaren)

5. George Russell (Mercedes)

6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

8. Yuki Tsunoda (RB)

9. Alex Albon (Williams)

10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

It's going to be Charles Leclerc who is going to take pole position around the streets of Monaco and he makes it three poles in Monte Carlo and a 35th career pole.

This fight is on and we really don't know where it's going to go!

Oscar Piastri stays in second place, a great Monaco Grand Prix qualifying for the Australian. Max Verstappen says he has hit the wall and has to settle for sixth place!

"I've hit the wall."