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Formula 1: Leclerc on first place at home race in Monaco

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formula 1
Leclerc on first place on the grid at home race in Monaco

Charles Leclerc secured pole position in his hometown of Monaco. Photo

© Claudia Greco/Pool Reuters/AP/dpa

Pole position for the real Monegasque. Charles Leclerc is taking advantage of the home advantage. Things are not going well for Max Verstappen, the Monegasque by choice.

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has secured the first place on the grid for the Monaco Grand Prix in his home country. The 26-year-old set the fastest lap of the Formula 1 qualification in 1:10.270 minutes, ahead of Oscar Piastri in the McLaren. Third place went to Carlos Sainz in the second Ferrari.

World champion and last year’s winner Max Verstappen had to settle for sixth place in the struggling Red Bull, almost three tenths of a second behind. Nico Hülkenberg drove his Haas racing car to twelfth place.

For Monegasque Leclerc, it is already the third pole position in the city where he was born. However, he has not been able to take advantage of this in the race in the past. So far, the 2022 vice world champion is still without a win or podium finish on one of the most traditional tracks on the racing calendar.

The first place on the grid is particularly important in Monaco, as overtaking maneuvers in the Grand Prix are very difficult on the narrow asphalt strip on the Côte d’Azur. Before the eighth race of the season on Sunday (3 p.m./Sky), Verstappen leads the World Championship standings with 161 points, ahead of Leclerc (113) and Sergio Perez (107) in the second Red Bull. Verstappen won on the Mediterranean coast last year and in 2021, and Perez was victorious on the challenging street circuit in 2022.