Antonelli snatches Monaco pole with 'magic' lap for Mercedes

Kimi Antonelli silenced doubts about his Monaco Grand Prix credentials with a stunning lap to secure pole position for Mercedes. The qualifying session was a gripping battle, with the lead changing hands multiple times before the 19-year-old seized it on his final run Saturday.

Antonelli edged Max Verstappen's Red Bull by a mere 0.043 seconds, becoming the first Italian since Jarno Trulli in 2004 to start from pole in the principality. He clocked 1:12.051 to take his fourth pole in six races this season.

"That's one of those laps we call a magic lap. Everything was perfect. Qualifying was very tight with Max," Antonelli said. "I knew the last run was good; I just hoped it would be enough, but it was really close."

Antonelli, the youngest driver ever to lead the standings, has won four consecutive races, but Monaco's tight, slow corners were expected to neutralise Mercedes' engine advantage.

Ferrari locked out second row

Ferrari entered as strong favourites but could only manage the second row, with Lewis Hamilton third (0.228s slower) and Charles Leclerc fourth. Leclerc briefly held provisional pole in Q3 but brushed the wall on his final lap while pushing for improvement, stopping at Rascasse.

Ferrari dominated Friday's practice sessions, with Hamilton and Leclerc first and second, although Antonelli was quickest in Saturday's final practice. "Congratulations to Kimi. Incredibly good. Getting your first pole here is very special," said Hamilton, a three-time Monaco winner yet to win for Ferrari.

Isack Hadjar (Oracle Red Bull) recovered from a heavy crash in Friday practice to take fifth, while Mercedes' George Russell (43 points behind Antonelli) had a disappointing sixth. Reigning champion Lando Norris and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri line up fourth, making victory in the team's 1,000th race a long shot.

'The walls start getting closer'

Last year, Antonelli finished 18th (last) in Monaco and faced pressure as championship leader. Now he has a golden chance to extend his dream start, much like Trulli in 2004 who turned pole into victory.

"I think this was the most stressful qualifying of the season, requiring maximum effort," Antonelli said. "When you need to find that final two-tenths, it's not easy because the walls start getting closer. I felt great this morning and I'm happy I got the job done."

In the last 22 Monaco Grands Prix, only six have been won from outside pole due to the narrow track's overtaking difficulty. The past three seasons were all won by the polesitter, though Hamilton won from third in 2016. With Verstappen showing strong pace, Antonelli takes nothing for granted. "If someone told me yesterday I'd be on the front row, I'd have taken it," Verstappen said.