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Qualifying report

Monaco GP: Top 10 quotes after qualifying

Kimi Raikkonen on pole as Ferrari secures front row lock-out in Monaco

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari SF70-H

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari SF70-H

Sutton Images

Pole sitter Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari celebrates in parc ferme
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF70-H
Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG F1
 Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB13
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB13
Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing RB13
Carlos Sainz Jr., Scuderia Toro Rosso STR12
 Carlos Sainz Jr., Scuderia Toro Rosso STR12
Girl watches the action
Sergio Perez, Force India
Romain Grosjean, Haas VF-17
Daniil Kvyat, Scuderia Toro Rosso STR12
Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1 Team RS17

Cla#DriverChassisEngineTimeGapkm/h
1 7 finland Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari Ferrari 1'12.178   166.438
“It’s great to be on pole position, this is one of the races where it is probably most important to be at the front. Half of the job is done, but we still have a big challenge in front of us tomorrow. So far so good, I’m happy with the car. This is a very special place, it’s been a bit tricky to get everything working as we wanted, but in qualifying things fell into place: and very small things make a massive difference in the lap time here . We got it right, the team put me in a very good position every time; things were running smoothly and hopefully tomorrow we can get a great result with both cars. We have to make a good start and try to stay out of trouble. It’s quite a short run to the first corner, cars are wide and it’s tricky to pass. We’ll try to do our best, but it’s not going to be easy, as many things can happen out of your control. The most important thing for me is to be in the same position tomorrow when it comes to the end”
2 5 germany Sebastian Vettel Ferrari Ferrari 1'12.221 0.043 166.339
“I am not happy with myself because pole position was up for grabs, but it’s great for the team. If I had to give up pole position and hand it to someone, I would choose Kimi. I am happy for him. He did a very good job in qualifying. As I said, it’s been fantastic for the team, but I am not totally happy with my performance today. I should have done a better job overall. The car was good, so it was my mistake. I was a bit too greedy in my last run. Now it is impossible to make predictions for tomorrow, all we have to think about is the start, the pace, the strategy, and then try to put everything together. So, we are going to prepare for the race as usual.”
3 77 finland Valtteri Bottas Mercedes Mercedes 1'12.223 0.045 166.334
"This weekend has been a bit tricky for us. We started well in FP1 before getting a bit lost with the set-up in FP2. Then it was difficult to get a lap together in Qualifying as well. It takes two to three laps to build the temperature up and find the right balance and feel for the car. It was very close today but Ferrari seems to have the upper hand here - they were very strong this afternoon. Of course it would be nice to start on the front row but anything is possible from P3 on the grid. It's difficult to overtake here but it's definitely a race of opportunity. Tomorrow is Monaco, where anything can happen."
4 33 netherlands Max Verstappen Red Bull TAG 1'12.496 0.318 165.708
“I think in Q3 my fast lap was optimal. I was struggling a little bit with front grip so I couldn’t get the tyres to work how I wanted but in the end we were not too far off. It is always nice to be closer but I think the lap I did was pretty much on the limit. The Ferraris have looked good all weekend and Bottas managed to sneak in between us which was a bit of a shame. With a clean start and a good strategy we can be in the mix. Monaco is unique and it is hard to predict how the race will play out, there could be a safety car or stoppage at any time so we have to wait see. I will keep an eye on how the tyres behave and pit when we think it is the right opportunity. That is something you have to feel during the race. Being close to the top three means a podium is within reach, but tomorrow I am going to concentrate on my race and try to finish, I want to break the ‘curse’ I have around here!”
5 3 australia Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull TAG 1'12.998 0.820 164.568
“It was a frustrating one for me today, as I think we could have done better. In Q3 we did one lap and we needed to push hard on the out lap to really get the tyres ready and warm, the ultrasofts are not that soft here and need to be worked hard. We came out and had cars in front of us and it seemed like I had a gap behind me, I don’t know why we didn’t wait for that gap so that I could push in the out lap. So I started the lap with the tyres not where I wanted them and obviously around here that’s a big thing, as is getting it right in Qualifying. However, we will see what happens tomorrow.”
6 55 spain Carlos Sainz Jr. Toro Rosso Renault 1'13.162 0.984 164.199
“Wow. Just WOW! I feel so good, what a lap! This is definitely the most enjoyable lap in qualifying of the whole season – the one where you’re on the limit the most, the one that gives you the biggest adrenaline rush, the highest heart beat… And to qualify P6 at such a track is just an amazing result! It’s something that we absolutely deserve after a very complete weekend, building it up until this afternoon’s qualifying. I must say that in Q1 I was a bit surprised with the pace of the midfield, as they all suddenly caught us up and we therefore had to start putting in fast laps from the very start – something I don’t like to do here in Monaco, I prefer to build it up little by little. Then in Q3, I was able to put the best lap of the weekend together and I’m a very happy man! I can still feel the adrenaline! Regarding tomorrow, I’m confident we can have a good race – we are fast in both long and short runs so we just need to make sure we get everything right at the start, lead the midfield and try and attack when possible! I will enjoy a good dinner tonight!”
7 11 mexico Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes 1'13.329 1.151 163.826
“I’m very happy with our result today. I think we got the maximum we could from the session. Every lap in qualifying is crucial here and you need to be on the pace from your first lap to get a good result. We made the right calls to avoid the traffic and we found the rhythm straight away, which is why I only had to complete one run in Q1. I am very proud of what we achieved as a team but it’s a shame Esteban couldn’t be in Q3 with me. Everything can happen in Monaco so I am not going to make any predictions for tomorrow. The race will be long and you cannot have any lapse in concentration – any mistake here means you can get a puncture or crash out of the race, so we need to focus on the job and try to bring home another good result.”
8 8 france Romain Grosjean Haas Ferrari 1'13.349 1.171 163.781
“It was a pretty good qualifying session. The car was quite unpredictable, but that was the tires. They went from working to not working, front and rear. The car was changing every lap. I was struggling with that as I like to have a car balance I understand, but eventually in Q1 I managed to get a decent enough lap in and pulled through. In Q2, I had a really good lap, the tires worked, then in Q3 not quite so good with the rear tires. Anyway, we’re here in the top-10 and that’s what we wanted. It’s a great place to start the race.”
9 26 russia Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso Renault 1'13.516 1.338 163.409
“I was unlucky with the crash that happened during the final moments of Q2, how frustrating! We’ve looked very promising all weekend, so it was a shame to miss out on Q3. I think we could’ve got through if the session hadn’t been yellow-flagged. However, realising that I will start tomorrow’s race from P9 because other drivers have been penalised makes the chances of finishing in the points even higher. I know it’s a different circuit, but in Barcelona I started last and finished in the top ten, so we’re not in such a bad situation here! There’s no point being upset, we just need to keep our heads down and work hard tonight to prepare the race well. Tomorrow we will try to go forward and hopefully fight for good points – anything can happen here in Monaco!”
10 27 germany Nico Hulkenberg Renault Renault 1'13.628 1.450 163.160
“I think that was the best we could have got from the car today. We’ve been struggling all weekend long with a lack of lack grip and balance which reflected on Thursday’s times. We managed to improve the car and I’m really happy with my laps. Tomorrow’s likely to be a tough day in the office. You have to stay sharp and on your toes as Monaco can always hold some surprises and you always have to be ready to pick them up in case there are some so we are prepared as normal and try and have a good race.”

 

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