MONACO: Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton clinched his first ever pole at the Monaco Grand Prix when he topped qualifying times after a strong drive on Saturday to deny Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg a hat-trick.

It was the 30-year-old Briton’s first success on the streets of his favourite circuit and came at the ninth attempt as he outpaced Rosberg in a tight contest to claim the 43rd pole of his career.

Rosberg, winner from pole for the past two years in the principality, qualified second. In last year’s race, Rosberg took pole but angered Hamilton when he crashed under no apparent pressure right at the end of the session, bringing it to a halt just as Hamilton was poised to beat his time.

There was no repeat of that incident but Rosberg had to pit right at the end of qualifying after locking his right tyre as two-time champion Hamilton clocked a final best lap in one minute and 15.090 seconds to wind up three-tenths of a second clear of the German.

Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel will start third after finishing 0.751 seconds behind Hamilton, with his former Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo alongside on the second row of the grid.

Russian Daniil Kvyat, also of Red Bull, was fifth while Finn Kimi Raikkonen, who had crashed during morning practice, was sixth in the second Ferrari ahead of Mexican Sergio Perez of Force India, Spaniard Carlos Sainz of Toro Rosso, Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado of Lotus.

Dutch 17-year-old Max Verstappen qualified 10th for his first Monaco Grand Prix with Toro Rosso.

Hamilton struggled to find his best form through the first two parts of qualifying before hitting his rhythm in the final top-ten shootout.

Rosberg was quickest in the first two mini-sessions, but made minor errors under pressure when he twice locked up at the Ste Devote corner.

Hamilton’s success ended Rosberg’s hopes of claiming a hat-trick of three successive poles in the Mediterranean principality and gives him a good opportunity to stop the German recording a third straight win in Sunday’s classic 78 laps race.

After winning three of this year’s opening five races, Hamilton holds a 20-points lead ahead of Rosberg in the drivers’ championship.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2015

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