Team Monaco will lead the field away for their home race after Oban Duncan grabbed pole position on the very last lap of a dramatic E1 Monaco qualifying session, pipping John Peeters of Team Blue Rising in some of the roughest water the all-electric championship has seen this season.

It sets up a mouth-watering race day in the Principality, with double reigning champions Team Brady and championship leaders Westbrook Racing by Visit Angola both facing recovery jobs after scares of their own in qualifying.

Duncan, the youngest pilot in the field, and French co-pilot Maxime Nocher will start from the front in only Team Monaco’s fourth E1 outing, a remarkable result for the newcomers on home water.

The drama started early. Team Brady looked in real danger in Q1 before Emma Kimmilänen dragged the champions out of the drop zone with her final lap, a reprieve that sent Sports.com Predict Team Miami Powered by Magnus and Team Rafa tumbling out in the first part of qualifying.

Q2 claimed Sierra Racing Club, with NBA star and team co-owner Kyle Kuzma watching from the dock, along with Team AlUla, the outfit championed by LeBron James. AlUla will take heart from the last round in Dubrovnik, where they charged from ninth in qualifying to third, so confidence in that camp remains high.

Shock for the championship leaders

The biggest surprise came in Q3. Westbrook Racing by Visit Angola, who had reached the final part of qualifying at every race this season, saw pilot Sara Price suffer a prop overspeed in the choppy conditions. Left underpowered for the rest of her final lap, the points leaders slumped to fifth, leaving them with work to do on Saturday in front of team owner Will Smith.

Aoki Racing also fell in Q3, narrowly missing the top four as they chase a response to a difficult weekend in Dubrovnik.

That left the top-four shootout, where Peeters had set the benchmark by bettering his own time on his second run. The Team Blue Rising pilot looked poised for a first career pole until Duncan’s last-gasp effort turned the session on its head.

This weekend marks the championship’s third visit to Monaco, hosted at the Yacht Club de Monaco, and the Principality has been a happy hunting ground for Team Brady in the past. A dedicated E1 Fan Zone at Jetée Lucciana gives fans of all ages a spot to watch Saturday’s racing unfold.

British fans can follow the action from home via E1’s official YouTube channel, with DAZN carrying coverage across much of Europe and TV Monaco broadcasting in Monaco and France.

Jamie Copas, E1’s chief executive officer, said: “Congratulations to Team Monaco on a fantastic home pole and to all teams for a thrilling qualifying here today. It sets up the prospect of an exciting race tomorrow.

“With its racing heritage and coastal beauty, the Principality is a natural home for E1 and one of the standout events of the Championship.”