Lewis Hamilton has expressed his delight at finishing first in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver will start tomorrow's race in Monte Carlo at the front of the grid for the first time thanks to a strong session on Saturday.

Hamilton's teammate Nico Rosberg ended qualifying in second place, while Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari came in third position.

"It has been a long, long time," the Brit told reporters. "I can't express to you how happy I am. It was not the easiest session. There were a lot of things that throw you off your rhythm and I did not have that rhythm until the last couple of laps. I am very, very happy.

"This track is so hard. It is difficult to express how difficult it is. In our session we had some problem with tyres and traffic, it was not easy so it makes it even more special. We had some really bad laps, so it was great."

Hamilton currently sits at the top of the drivers' standings, 20 points clear of Rosberg.