Defending world champion Lewis Hamilton claimed his first ever Monaco Grand Prix pole, after edging out Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg in qualifying once again.
The Brit has endured a frustrating time in the principality, with his German rival getting the better of him in the last two years.
However, Hamilton's time of one minute 15.098 seconds was enough to eke past Rosberg, with Ferarri's Sebastian Vettel following home in third.
The British driver entered round six with three wins under his belt and eyeing a "perfect weekend" in Monte Carlo, where Rosberg was hoping to follow up victory in Spain last time out.
A third straight Monaco win may now be beyond the German,
though, given ten of the last 11 races here have been won by the driver
starting in pole.
Rosberg had clocked the quickest time in the first two parts of qualifying, only to be pipped by Hamilton in the third after overcoming earlier problems.
Vettel will start third on the grid after following up an impressive run in the final practice session, while Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo is in fourth.
Team-mate Daniil Kvyat is fifth, followed by Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari and Force India's Sergio Perez in a surprise seventh.
The Toro Rosso pair of Carlos Sainz Jr and Max Verstappen were either side of Lotus' Pastor Maldonado in the top ten, though it emerged after the race that 20-year-old Sainz had been hit by a significant post-qualifying penalty by the FIA, and will be required to start the race from the pit lane on Sunday after failing to stop for weighing during Q1.
The Brit has endured a frustrating time in the principality, with his German rival getting the better of him in the last two years.
However, Hamilton's time of one minute 15.098 seconds was enough to eke past Rosberg, with Ferarri's Sebastian Vettel following home in third.
The British driver entered round six with three wins under his belt and eyeing a "perfect weekend" in Monte Carlo, where Rosberg was hoping to follow up victory in Spain last time out.
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Rosberg had clocked the quickest time in the first two parts of qualifying, only to be pipped by Hamilton in the third after overcoming earlier problems.
Vettel will start third on the grid after following up an impressive run in the final practice session, while Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo is in fourth.
Team-mate Daniil Kvyat is fifth, followed by Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari and Force India's Sergio Perez in a surprise seventh.
The Toro Rosso pair of Carlos Sainz Jr and Max Verstappen were either side of Lotus' Pastor Maldonado in the top ten, though it emerged after the race that 20-year-old Sainz had been hit by a significant post-qualifying penalty by the FIA, and will be required to start the race from the pit lane on Sunday after failing to stop for weighing during Q1.
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