MONACO, June 6 (Reuters) - Kimi Antonelli made a mockery of suggestions that the Monaco Grand Prix would stall his incredible start to the Formula One season by producing a magic qualifying lap to stick his Mercedes on pole position on Saturday.
The qualifying battle lived up to expectations with provisional pole changing hands several times before the 19-year-old championship leader snatched it with his final lap.
He edged out Oracle Red Bull's Max Verstappen by 0.043 seconds to become the first Italian since Jarno Trulli in 2004 to take pole position in the principality.
"It was one of those laps that we call a magic lap. I was able to put it all together. It was such a close qualifying with Max," Antonelli, who clocked 1:12.051 seconds to claim his fourth pole in six races this season, said.
"I knew the last lap was good, I was just hoping that it would be enough but it was very close."
Antonelli is the youngest driver to lead the championship having won the last four races, but the unique nature of Monaco's twisting circuit full of slow corners was supposed to take away the Mercedes power advantage.
FERRARI PAIR ON SECOND ROW
Ferrari have been strongly tipped as race favourites, but had to be content with the second row on Sunday's grid with Lewis Hamilton third quickest, 0.228 slower, and local favourite Charles Leclerc, winner of the race in 2024, fourth.
Leclerc had been on provisional pole with time running out in Q3, but clipped the wall on his final lap as he tried to wrestle it back, stopping his car at Rascasse.
Ferrari dominated Friday's two practice sessions with Hamilton and Leclerc first and second in both, although Antonelli was quickest in Saturday's final practice.
"Congrats to Kimi. Mega, mega job. Having your first pole here is so special," three-time Monaco champion Hamilton, who is yet to win a race for Ferrari, said.
"It was tough for us. We were looking so strong in practice and we barely changed anything, but the car was drastically different once we got to qualifying for some reason."
Isack Hadjar, in the second Oracle Red Bull, bounced back from a nasty crash in Friday practice to qualify fifth with Antonelli's team mate George Russell, who trails him by 43 points in the standings, a disappointing sixth.
Reigning world champion and last year's Monaco winner Lando Norris will be on the fourth row alongside fellow McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, with the team's hopes of victory in their 1,000th Grand Prix now looking slender.
'THE WALLS START COMING CLOSER'
Antonelli finished 18th and last at the Monaco Grand Prix 12 months ago and he was expected to feel the pressure of leading the standings on his return.
But he now has a golden chance to continue his dream start to the season by emulating Trulli, who converted his pole into a victory in his Renault in 2004.
"I think this is one of the most intensive, if not the most intense qualifying of the year and it takes a massive effort," he said. "When it is about finding the last two tenths, it is not easy because the walls start coming closer.
"But I felt great this morning and I am happy that we could finish the job today."
Of the last 22 Monaco Grands Prix, only six have been won by a driver who did not start on pole, such is the extreme difficulty of overtaking on the narrow, twisty circuit that snakes round the stunning Mediterranean playground.
The last three editions have all been won by the top driver in qualifying, but Hamilton did win from third on the grid in 2016 and with Verstappen showing great speed here this year, Antonelli will be taking nothing for granted.
"If you would have told me yesterday I would be on the front row, I would have taken it," Verstappen said.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Ken Ferris and Toby Davis)
