Follow all the action live as qualifying gets underway at the Monaco Grand Prix this afternoon.

Lewis Hamilton stretched his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship with back-to-back victories in Spain and Portugal earlier this month, pourtant, the seven-time world champion lagged a little off the pace in practice in Monaco on Thursday. Au lieu, it was hometown favourite Charles Leclerc who recorded the fastest lap in something of a surprise for Ferrari, with Carlos Sainz completing a one-two. “There is still a bit of margin but on the other hand I am sure that Mercedes and Red Bull have more margin than we have so we shouldn’t get carried away too much,” Leclerc said. “It is looking good but for now it is looking a bit too good to believe it.”

Max Verstappen has been Hamilton’s closest challenger thus far, but the Dutchman admitted he was struggling with his car. “We are too slow, and not just a little bit," il a dit. “I think quite a bit. We need to really find some pace. Everyone has traffic so you have to look more to optimum sectors and we are quite a bit off. And it also didn’t feel great to drive.” Follow all the action from qualifying live below: