Antonelli ecstatic after mega pole lap in Monaco: 'Such a close battle with Verstappen'

For a moment, it looked like Max Verstappen was set to start from pole position in Monte Carlo, but during his final attempt, the current championship leader improved to claim the best starting spot on the grid for Sunday.

The young Italian was ecstatic after his result. "It was one of those laps that we call a magic lap," he said immediately after jumping out of his car.

He continued: "I was able to put it all together. It was such a close qualifying with Max. The first run of Q3 there was just one millisecond between us. But I knew the last lap was good and I was just hoping that it would be enough. It was very close, and I’m very happy with that.

"Massive thanks to the team because yesterday we struggled a little bit and today we were able to improve massively," the youngster concluded when speaking to Jenson Button, who already praised the Mercedes driver ahead of the session.

Arriving to the press room, the Mercedes driver was still shaking after the stunning lap he put together minutes ago. This result can also prove to be key in terms of the drivers' world title, as Antonelli's teammate, George Russell, only finished sixth today on the streets of Monte Carlo. Entering the race, Antonelli already leads by 43 points in the standings.