Monaco GP: Max Verstappen tops final practice as Lewis Hamilton crashes ahead of qualifying

Max Verstappen narrowly topped Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in final practice in Monaco; Lewis Hamilton crashes upgraded Mercedes after showing signs of potential; watch Monaco GP Qualifying live on Sky Sports F1 from 2:30pm on Saturday

Max Verstappen edged Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in final practice at the Monaco Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton crashed ahead of what promises to be a thrilling qualifying session later on Saturday.

World championship leader Verstappen’s time of 1:12.776 saw him finish seven-hundredths of a second clear of his nearest challenger in the drivers’ standings, Perez.

While the one-two points to continued domination for Red Bull, plenty of mystery remains going into the most crucial qualifying session of the season, with overtaking in Sunday’s race notoriously difficult.

Several drivers, including Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso who finished 14th, failed to get clean flying laps in during the final 60 minutes, leaving doubt as to the Spaniard’s true pace.

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Max Verstappen clips the barriers at Turn 1 as he tests the limits of the Monaco track in Practice Three

The fact his team-mate Lance Stroll was just 0.166s behind Verstappen in third suggests there is more to come from Alonso, who has outperformed the Canadian in every qualifying session this season.

Carlos Sainz, who topped first practice for Ferrari on Friday, was fourth, with team-mate Charles Leclerc in seventh as his hopes of a third successive pole at his home circuit appeared to fade with the SF23 struggling for grip.

Meanwhile, Hamilton, who finished eighth, had set the fastest first sector of the session before losing control and hitting the barrier at the exit of Mirabeau, resulting in a red flag that saw the session ended five minutes early.

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George Russell nudges the inside barrier at Rascasse but his Mercedes car seems to have no damage towards the end of Practice Three.

There appears to be potential in the heavily upgraded W14, but Hamilton’s team-mate George Russell could only manage 11th having also struggled on Friday.

Lando Norris impressed once more by repeating the fifth place he took in second practice for McLaren, while Pierre Gasly was sixth for Alpine.

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Martin Brundle interviews a 89-year-old photographer and the result is hilarious!

Final practice only ‘added to intrigue’

Coming into the weekend many believed that Monaco would prove to be the biggest challenge so far this season for a Red Bull team that has completely dominated the opening five races, and after first practice on Friday that theory was only strengthened.

Verstappen was only sixth amid complaints over his set-up, but since then, two timesheet-topping efforts have established the Dutchman as the driver to beat going into Qualifying.

However, unlike at other races where there has been little jeopardy for Red Bull due to confidence their stunning straight-line speed can help them to recover from almost anywhere on the grid come Sunday, the difficulty of overtaking in Monaco means Qualifying could prove decisive.

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Sky F1’s Anthony Davidson was at the SkyPad to analyse Lewis Hamilton’s crash that ended Practice Three at the Monaco Grand Prix.

If Red Bull do hold an advantage over Alonso, which remains unclear, it is a small one that could be overcome by the slightest of mistakes, the interruption of traffic, or simply just track evolution.

Furthermore, a crash from seven-time world champion Hamilton, of all people, proves that just about anything can happen at any moment at the stunning street circuit, with Qualifying having ended prematurely because of a crash in the previous two years.

While expectations for the updated Mercedes W14 are limited, Hamilton’s rapid first sector before his crash hinted that he could be capable of producing a surprise, assuming the team are able to repair his car in time for Qualifying at 3pm.

« That adds to the intrigue because I’m expecting an immense qualifying session today especially now that some of them haven’t had a decent run, » Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle said after final practice.

The Formula 1 season continues with the Monaco GP this weekend. Watch qualifying at 3pm on Saturday with lights out at 2pm on Sunday. Get Sky Sports