Qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix delivered its usual dose of excitement and, decided by fine margins, once again proved to be one of the most thrilling qualifyings of the season.

At the end of a fiercely contested session, Scuderia Ferrari HP got both its drivers onto the second row of the grid, with Lewis Hamilton third and Charles Leclerc fourth, setting the team up for some interesting possibilities in tomorrow's race with the potential to score plenty of points. The Grand Prix gets underway at 15:00 CEST, run over 78 laps, equivalent to 260.286 kilometres.

In the opening phase of qualifying, both SF-26s took to the track carrying a relatively high fuel load in order to complete a long run of consecutive laps, comfortably progressing to the next session. In Q2, the Ferraris fitted a fresh set of Soft tyres, with Leclerc immediately setting a lap time good enough to secure his place in Q3, while Hamilton required a second attempt to do the same. In the final and decisive phase of qualifying, both drivers used further sets of Soft tyres. On his first run, Charles made a small mistake, while Lewis recorded a 1'12"553. After a pit stop, Leclerc returned to the track and set a 1'12"351, briefly moving to the top of the timesheets. Shortly afterwards Hamilton improved to a 1'12"279, but both Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen managed to move ahead of the Ferrari pair. Charles then set off for a final flying lap, during which he was improving significantly and was very much in contention for pole position until he clipped the barriers on the exit of Tabac corner, ending any chance of improving his position.

While a lockout of the second row is not the result the team was aiming for, it nonetheless provides a solid platform from which to tackle a race that, although traditionally difficult in terms of overtaking, could present interesting opportunities thanks to the characteristics of the new generation of cars and the strategic options available. The team's primary objective will be to bring home as many points as possible.

Lewis Hamilton: Monaco always delivers one of the standout qualifying sessions of the season, with an incredible crowd and atmosphere and a level of intensity I always enjoy. At the start of the session, I didn't quite have the same confidence in the car that I felt in free practice, so we will need to look closely at what changed, especially as we didn't make any significant adjustments. I could feel some differences in balance, but the margins were incredibly tight throughout between Kimi, Max, Charles and myself.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's race and to the opportunity to bring home a strong result. The team at the factory is doing a fantastic job, and I'm confident we can continue to fight more consistently at the front in the races ahead.

Charles Leclerc: It's been a tough weekend for me, right from the first session. I've been struggling to get the right feeling in the car and have been facing some issues, which I am sure we will find solutions for soon. But on a track like this, if you go into qualifying without full confidence, you can pay the price. Today, it was a combination of different factors that played a role, and unfortunately, I didn't finish my last flying lap in Q3 which means I will start from the second row tomorrow. Nevertheless, I will give it my all.

Jerome D'Ambrosio - Deputy Team Principal: The result leaves us with mixed feelings. On the one hand, having both cars on the second row is a solid outcome in such a competitive qualifying session. On the other, Charles' last lap was in the mix until he touched the wall at Tabac corner, which is encouraging. Lewis struggled with the car balance during qualifying but managed to put in a strong lap in at the end which allowed us to lock out the second row. Although overtaking isn't straightforward here in Monaco, we will give our best tomorrow to maximise any opportunities.