F1 LIVE | Ferrari and Mercedes set for Pole battle as Monaco GP Qualifying gets underway

With all three practice sessions now in the books, drivers and teams have had the chance to familiarise themselves with the circuit, build confidence and push closer and closer to the barriers with every lap. Attention now turns to one of the most eagerly anticipated qualifying sessions of the season, with everyone fully aware that starting near the back in Monaco can all but ruin any hopes of a strong result on Sunday.

Friday's sessions and FP3 highlighted Ferrari's strong competitiveness, exactly as many had anticipated. The characteristics of the SF-26's chassis and aerodynamic package have so far made a significant difference around the streets of Monaco, where engine power plays a far less important role than it does at most other circuits.

As a result, home favourite Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have looked consistently quick and have featured near the top of the timesheets in every session so far. Mercedes, meanwhile, has not managed to assert the same level of dominance seen during the opening five races of the season, although in Montreal it was qualifying that ultimately proved decisive in shaping the outcome of the weekend.

The two Ferrari drivers therefore head into qualifying as the clear favourites for pole position, although there are still a few outsiders worth keeping an eye on, most notably Max Verstappen. The Dutchman has looked comfortable in the RB22 throughout the weekend and is always capable of producing something special when it matters most.

Neither Mercedes nor McLaren can be ruled out either. Lando Norris arrives as the defending Monaco polesitter and will be hoping to repeat that achievement today, although the task appears far from straightforward given the pace shown by the MCL40 so far this weekend.

Looking ahead to Monaco immediately after the Montreal weekend, the reigning world champion pointed to Ferrari as the team to beat around the streets of the Principality. Speaking to GPblog among others, Norris highlighted the Scuderia's impressive performance in low-speed corners, suggesting that strength could prove decisive in the fight for pole position: “Monaco was a track that was decent to us last year. Honestly, I think the Ferrari will be on pole next weekend in Monaco, so their low-speed performance is far better than everyone else.”.

To find out who will secure pole position, all that remains is to wait for the green light. Qualifying is set to get underway at 16:00 CET (15:00 BST), and you can follow every moment of the session with GPblog's live text coverage.