The qualifying session unfolded under clear skies, with the Mediterranean sun casting its warm glow over the principality.
With track temperatures rising and tensions escalating, every team and driver sought to extract maximum performance from their cars in pursuit of the coveted pole position. Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team continued to demonstrate their dominance, with both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell showcasing blistering pace throughout the qualifying session.
Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, displayed his mastery of the Monaco circuit, setting the fastest time in Q1 and Q2 with remarkable ease. Meanwhile, his teammate Russell demonstrated his growing confidence, consistently challenging Hamilton’s pace and securing a top five start alongside the seasoned champion Hamilton who starts the Grand Prix on Sunday in in seventh place.
Ferrari, eager to close the gap to Mercedes, showed promising signs as Charles Leclerc delighted the home crowd with an impressive performance, securing a pole position for Scuderia Ferrari. His teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr., also showcased his skill, securing a top-three grid position, providing Ferrari with a strong foundation for the race ahead.
Red Bull Racing faced a challenging qualifying session, with Max Verstappen unable to match the pace of the leading Ferrari cars. Despite his best efforts, Verstappen could only manage a sixth-place start, highlighting the team’s struggle to find the optimal setup for the demanding Monaco circuit.
His teammate Sergio Perez faced further disappointment, failing to advance beyond Q2 and qualifying in 18th position. McLaren’s resurgence continued as Lando Norris delivered an impressive performance, securing a fourth-place start for the team. His teammate Oscar Piastri also showed promising pace, qualifying in second position, positioning McLaren as a formidable contender in the midfield battle.
Alpine faced a mixed qualifying session, with Esteban Ocon showcasing slow pace to qualify in eleventh position, while his teammate Pierre Gasly encountered difficulties and managed to progress beyond Q2, ultimately qualifying in 10th position.
Vcarb’s Yuki Tsunoda impressed with a solid qualifying performance, securing eighth place on the grid, while his teammate Daniel Ricciardo faced challenges and qualified in 13th position.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll delivered a dismal performance, securing fourteenth place on the grid, while his teammate Fernando Alonso encountered difficulties and didn’t manage to make it passed Q2 or Q3 and qualified 16th on the grid for the race on Sunday.
Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu was eliminated from qualifying with a poor qualifying performance, while his teammate Valtteri Bottas struggled to find pace and was eliminated from Monaco qualifying securing 19th place on the grid for Sunday’s Race.
Haas F1 Team faced a challenging qualifying session, with Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen qualifying in 12th and 15th positions, respectively, highlighting the team’s ongoing struggle with performance and reliability. Williams Racing endured a difficult qualifying session, with Logan Sargeant and Alexander Albon qualifying in 9th and 17th positions, as the team continued to grapple with performance issues.
As the sun set over the Monaco skyline, the stage was set for a thrilling race, with Ferrari asserting their dominance in qualifying, while rivals Mercedes and Red Bull Racing sought to mount a challenge in the unforgiving streets of Monte Carlo. With grid positions determined and tensions running high, all eyes turned to the main event—the 2024 Formula One Monaco Grand Prix.
Published in F1
