Ferrari confirm Leclerc pole after avoiding gearbox change

Charles Leclerc will be able to start from pole position at his home Monaco Grand Prix, Ferrari confirmed on Sunday.

The Monegasque qualified fastest on Saturday but looked like facing more pain at this event when he crashed dramatically, forcing the session to be halted early.

Although that incident ensured Leclerc remained at the top of the timesheets, he faced a nervous wait for an assessment of his gearbox.

An enforced change would have meant a grid penalty, denying him his first pole at Monaco, where he has retired in his only two previous Formula One appearances in the principality – albeit still finishing 18th in 2018.

But Ferrari reported no "serious damage" in initial gearbox tests on Saturday, and the team could report positive news following further checks on the morning of the race.

"Following further in-depth checks this morning, no apparent defects were found on Charles Leclerc's gearbox," a Scuderia statement read.

Here’s where @Charles_Leclerc and @CarlosSainz55 will be lining up for today’s #MonacoGP #essereFerrari pic.twitter.com/TZULyANvhT

— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) May 23, 2021

"Therefore, the Monegasque driver will start today's race from pole position, as per the qualifying result."

It means Ferrari equal McLaren's record of 11 Monaco poles and Leclerc could become the 10th Scuderia star to win the race, trailing 15 McLaren drivers.

Given his past problems at this grand prix, though, Leclerc might settle for becoming the 54th Ferrari man to finish on the podium.

That would see him at least equal Louis Chiron's third-placed finish at the first ever F1 Monaco Grand Prix, still the best result for a Monegasque driver at home.