Lewis Hamilton has taken pole position for the 2019 French Grand Prix, setting a 1:28.319 as Mercedes locked out the front row at the Circuit Paul Ricard.

It was a troublesome session for Sebastian Vettel who could only manage the seventh fastest time in Q3, only setting one lap after reporting upshift issues on his first run.

Vettel's teammate Charles Leclerc will start on the second row, as he couldn't offer a challenge to the Silver Arrows, as he was over six-tenths down on Hamilton's time.

Ferrari was able to match Mercedes during the opening two sessions, however the championship leaders were able to stretch away in the final stage.

Red Bull just hold off McLaren

Red Bull also didn't have an easy session, but Max Verstappen managed to get his car onto the second row alongside Leclerc.

However, McLaren were the stars of the show as Lando Norris pipped Carlos Sainz to fifth spot, with Norris' time only marginally slower than Verstappen's.

Vettel will have a tough fight on his hands on Sunday, as he starts from seventh on the grid, sharing the fourth row with former teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

Antonio Giovinazzi managed to outqualify his teammate Kimi Raikkonen at the Circuit Paul Ricard, and slipped into Q3, ending up 10th in the final session behind Pierre Gasly, who continues to struggle in the Red Bull.

Williams once again failed to move off the last row on the grid at the end of qualifying, however George Russell will take a grid penalty for new engine components. 

Lance Stroll's run of consecutive Q1 exits continued in France, as he could only manage P18 behind Daniil Kvyat, who will also take a grid penalty, and Romain Grosjean, who struggled at his home event.