Monaco Grand Prix starting grid changes as Lewis Hamilton punished with F1 rival

and have both been slapped with three-place grid penalties for impeding during qualifying. The verdicts mean that Stroll will start from the very back of the grid and Hamilton will line up in P7 at a notoriously difficult track to overtake on.

Ferrari star Hamilton was mistakenly told by race engineer Riccardo Adami that Max Verstappen was on a slow lap behind him. The reigning world champion was forced to abort his hot lap and take evasive action when he flew up to the back of Hamilton, who occupied part of the racing line.

Verstappen and Hamilton both swore over their respective team radios, and when they discussed the incident after qualifying, they both suggested that it was Ferrari's fault rather than Hamilton's.

Nevertheless, the stewards slapped the Brit with a painful penalty which will see him tumble down from P4 to P7. Verstappen moves up to fourth as a result, with Isack Hadjar and Fernando Alonso between the pair in fifth and sixth.

The stewards said: "We carefully examined the racing line taken by Car 1 [Verstappen] in previous laps at the same area and determined that Car 44 [Hamilton] did in fact enter the racing line that Car 1 used in previous push laps.

"This put it beyond doubt that Car 1 was impeded. The driver of Car 44 expressed his displeasure at the incorrect message from the team immediately after the incident.

"During the hearing, the fact of the team's incorrect message leading to the incident was accepted by the driver of Car 44. As with previous incidents of this nature where a driver has received inaccurate or incomplete information resulting in a car impeding another, the fact that the radio message was the cause of the impeding does not amount to a mitigating factor."

Stroll, who qualified 19th, was punished for impeding in the first part of qualifying. The Canadian faces a tough task to scrap his way into the points with Aston Martin team-mate Alonso.

Hamilton has had several run-ins with race engineer Adami since ditching for at the start of the year. And he made his frustration known after Verstappen came flying past, saying: "You said he was slowing down, mate! *** man!"

All hope is not lost for as Charles Leclerc put his car on the front row. It could have been even sweeter for the Monegasque, racing at his home track, but for ' heroic final-lap push for P1.