Former F1 Monaco Grand Prix winner Daniel Ricciardo endured another miserable qualifying session as he was out-classed by McLaren teammate Lando Norris yet again.
Ricciardo could only manage the 14th for Sunday’s race while Norris impressed by securing fifth on the grid.
With McLaren CEO Zak Brown casting doubt over Ricciardo’s future with the team beyond this season, another underwhelming qualifying performance won’t help his chances of extending his stay with the Woking outfit.
Up at the front, Charles Leclerc was once again in a league of his own as he secured pole position ahead of Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz, who crashed at the end of Q3 at the same corner as Sergio Perez.
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Here’s who had a difficult day in Monaco…
Daniel Ricciardo – Qualified 14th
“I run these streets” – it wasn’t that long ago Ricciardo was the master of Monaco with poles in 2016 and 2018.
Ricciardo finally got his first win in the principality during his final year with Red Bull despite nursing a power unit issue throughout the race in 2018.
He should have won the 2016 Monaco GP had it not been for a pit stop blunder from Red Bull that cost him the victory to Lewis Hamilton.
Fast forward to 2021, Ricciardo was lapped by his teammate in Monaco, who ultimately finished on the podium.
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Ricciardo looked on the pace during the early runs in Friday practice but his good work was undone when he crashed at the Swimming Pool chicane, forcing him to miss the entirety of FP2.
With his confidence low, it’s probably not a surprise to see Ricciardo nearly 0.7s off Norris in qualifying.
Ricciardo will be hoping for a chaotic race to avoid being lapped by his teammate for the second year running.
Max Verstappen – Qualified 4th
It’s very rare that Verstappen is slower than his teammate across a grand prix weekend.
Throughout Friday practice, the Dutchman trailed Sergio Perez with the reigning champion struggling for pace throughout the opening sector of the lap.
Things didn’t really change in qualifying with Perez looking like Red Bull’s best hope of a first pole position in Monaco since 2018.
With main title rival Leclerc performing at his best on home soil, Verstappen had no chance of pole position.
Maybe without the red flag at the end of Q3, Verstappen could have salvaged second but that could have been the same with Perez or Sainz.
A disappointing weekend for Verstappen so far.
Pierre Gasly – Qualified 17th
Gasly’s performances in 2022 show how quickly things can change in F1.
The Frenchman’s average qualifying record is just 12.1 this year as opposed to 6.7 in 2021.
Granted, AlphaTauri aren’t as competitive as last year but he currently trails less-experienced teammate Yuki Tsunoda in the drivers’ championship.
Gasly showed impressive pace throughout Friday practice but couldn’t get the lap together when it mattered.
However, he was one of the drivers – like Hamilton and both Alfa Romeos – to miss out on a final lap in Q1 after not making the checkered flag following the red flag stoppage, ironically caused by Tsunoda.
A wet race could present a chance of recovery for Gasly but he needs to turn his season around if he wants any chance of securing a better drive outside of the Red Bull family in the near future.
The drivers that impressed us in Monaco F1 qualifying…
Lando Norris – Qualified 5th
As teammate Ricciardo continues to struggle, Norris continues to flourish with McLaren.
There’s no doubt now that Norris is part of that top bracket of drivers alongside Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc, particularly over one lap.
After battling through ill health in Barcelona to finish in the points, Norris still hasn’t fully recovered from tonsillitis, making his performance in Monaco even more impressive.
In the end, Norris was just over 0.4s off pole position at the same venue where he finished on the podium last year.
Should Perez get a penalty for a gearbox change or Sainz is penalized for his driving under the yellow flags, the young Brit might be able to match last year’s achievement on Sunday.
Sebastian Vettel – Qualified 9th
The four-time world champion shone yet again around the streets of Monte Carlo as he maintained his remarkable streak of qualifying inside the top 10 in Monaco, stretching back to his days with Red Bull in 2009 – which was his second full season in F1.
Many have questioned Vettel’s motivation and ability with the German failing to dominate Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll during his first year with the team.
After missing the first race of the year through COVID and Aston Martin’s subsequent lack of competitiveness, more rumors began to swirl about Vettel’s future in the sport.
However, the last few races have shown that Vettel still has what it takes to compete in F1, even at one of the most difficult circuits on the calendar.
As Vettel progressed into Q3, Stroll fell at the first hurdle, securing 18th for Sunday’s race.
