Charles Leclerc took an impressive pole place on Saturday on the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix – the third time he’s secured high spot at his dwelling circuit.
The Scuderia Ferrari driver shall be hoping it’s third time fortunate as he seems to be for his first victory across the streets of Monte Carlo, however there shall be a stern problem from Oscar Piastri, who secured a entrance row spot in qualifying for the second consecutive race weekend.
Learn what the drivers needed to say after an exciting hour of qualifying:
Charles Leclerc — Scuderia Ferrari — 1st
“I’m very pleased. We have been quick proper from the start of the weekend and I actually assume the entire crew deserves this pole place.
“We all know how essential is observe place right here and having the chance to start out in entrance of everybody provides us one of the best possibilities.We all know from the previous that now we have to win the race tomorrow on observe however up to now now we have performed an incredible job.
“After all, I need to thank all of the folks right here as I felt their assist proper from Wednesday. Now now we have to finish the job, and we’ll do our greatest to carry dwelling this victory.”
Oscar Piastri — McLaren F1 Staff — 2nd
“I’m actually happy with that. It’s nice to be beginning on the entrance row, and subsequent to Leclerc who has been extremely fast all weekend. I really feel like we’ve been constructing momentum, and what higher colors to do it in than these.
“Our goal for tomorrow is to get a superb begin, and take the alternatives that may come to us. Whereas overtaking shall be tough, we’ll give it the whole lot. We’ve received a superb beginning spot, so let’s see what we are able to do.”
Carlos Sainz — Scuderia Ferrari — third
“I really feel that I’ve progressed properly at the moment after a troublesome begin to the weekend yesterday. After all I’m not glad as I’d have most well-liked to be on the entrance row.
“Nevertheless, now we have a superb preventing likelihood for tomorrow and we nonetheless have an extended race forward of us.Congrats to Charles for the pole place at dwelling! Let’s race.”
Lando Norris — McLaren F1 Staff — 4th
“ Qualifying end result for us. It was simply so shut. After all, we might have liked to have been one or two positions greater, particularly right here the place overtaking is so troublesome, however, I’m pleased with it and we’re in a superb place.
“ job by the crew for Oscar to be in P2. We’ve received a superb crew end result and we’ll attempt to maximise it.”
George Russell — Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Staff — fifth
That was a robust end result at the moment. It’s simply two hundredths of a second to P3, so after all it’s irritating when the gaps are so shut, however the principle factor is that we’re making progress. The crew has labored flat out to carry new elements right here earlier than anticipated, and that’s massively appreciated as a result of the automobile was feeling nice.
“The automobile was dancing loads within the first sector and my lap felt very robust – afterwards, you’ll be able to all the time persuade your self there was bit extra in there, nevertheless it’s simply such an incredible adrenaline rush to drive a lap on this circuit.
“General, I’m pleased as a result of we might have been P3 at the moment, however most significantly we’re making progress and hopefully this could be a little bit of a turning level on condition that our automobile has by no means been tremendous robust right here. The race has been fairly chaotic within the final couple of years and I’m undecided what the climate shall be like tomorrow, I assume a little bit of rain could be welcome to spice issues up!”
Max Verstappen — Oracle Crimson Bull Racing — sixth
“It has not been a superb weekend for the Staff generally. We have now tried lots of modifications over the previous few days and nothing has helped optimise the efficiency of the automobile. Generally, it drives properly on the straight however has been very troublesome over the curves and bumps so has not been good to drive on this sort of observe.
“The experience of the automobile will not be good and it has been bouncing round loads, which makes it actually tough. The problem isn’t a brand new factor for us and now we have been combating this for some time.
“We have now tried the whole lot to unravel the problem however I nonetheless felt like I used to be typically near going into the wall. Though I did really feel snug pushing it to the restrict, it’s a enormous problem to be constant and we simply didn’t have the quickest automobile at the moment.
“Trying to tomorrow, we’ll work exhausting to attempt to discover the issue. In Monaco issues can occur that you simply don’t count on, so by no means say by no means, however we aren’t anticipating miracles.”
Lewis Hamilton — Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Staff — seventh
“The automobile has felt nice this weekend from the get-go and we have been aggressive via Friday and this morning in observe. I’ve been pushing the bounds in every single place and the qualifying laps felt good. However every time I am going into qualifying, I wrestle to maintain making progress with the automobile and it seems like I lose efficiency relative to the vehicles round me.
“There was a little bit of a distinction with our vehicles within the high-speed corners, as George is working the brand new wing this weekend, however it’s nice to see the crew pushing so exhausting to carry upgrades to the final race and this one, too.
“We have now been a lot nearer to the entrance right here, and the automobile is feeling a lot better than it has in Monaco in earlier years; we simply must carry on pushing and getting nearer to the entrance via the 12 months.”
Yuki Tsunoda — Visa Money App RB – eighth
“At this time was a lot more durable than anticipated, however we picked up the tempo rather a lot and managed to enhance lap by lap in each session from Q1 to Q3. Q1 was a little bit of a wrestle contemplating the tempo we had in free observe, however we managed to squeeze out each millisecond from the automobile.
“It was tremendous intense, one mistake is a giant compromise right here. I felt a bit of little bit of stress, however on the identical time loved it, I managed to maintain my thoughts calm and extract the efficiency of the automobile. It’s going to be tough tomorrow, it’s exhausting to overhaul right here so the beginning may be very decisive and the principle factor is to have a clear race.
“The tempo is sweet, so we simply must extract all automobile’s efficiency. General as a crew, we did a incredible job, persistently this week. Ending up in P8, it’s a pleasant feeling and positively particular right here.”
Alex Albon — Williams Racing — FP1: fifteenth, FP2: ninth
“It was nice on the market at the moment; I actually loved these laps. We’ve had the automobile in a superb place all weekend, nonetheless we’re nonetheless struggling a bit of with understeer in Sector 2, so we’ve made some modifications all through the day to strive get on high of it.
“It was all about getting the tyres in the best window, so we selected clear air, specializing in the tyres and never worrying in regards to the observe evolution as a lot. Trying to tomorrow, graining could be an issue, so we’ll must handle this all through the race. Hopefully, I can get some clear air and take care of the tyres.
“On paper, this observe is the least weight penalising of the 12 months, so it’s allowed us to play on a barely extra degree taking part in discipline.
“For the crew, I believe with Logan not having the upgrades and with a barely alternate setup, it was probably the distinction in him making it into Q2.”
Pierre Gasly — BWT Alpine F1 Staff — tenth
“I’m very happy we reached Q3 at the moment for the primary time this 12 months. I took lots of dangers and touched the wall one time too many however these are the probabilities it’s a must to soak up Qualifying in Monaco.
“Ultimately, I’m happy with the result, even when extra was attainable. We needed to work exhausting yesterday and the simulator crew again at Enstone did an awesome job to check out a number of take a look at objects and recommend some modifications to enhance the automobile.
“We all know Monaco is a observe filled with alternatives and now we have put ourselves in rivalry to attain factors in tomorrow’s race. There’s nonetheless an extended race forward of us. We’ll must be ready for a lot of situations with the goal to return away with factors for the crew.”
Esteban Ocon — BWT Alpine F1 Staff — eleventh
“It’s been a really busy Qualifying day in Monaco. From my aspect, it’s positively blended emotions. There are positives as we made some good enhancements to the automobile to actually be in rivalry for the highest ten in Qualifying.
“We received via Q1 comfortably however I made a mistake on my Q2 lap by locking up into Flip 1, which most definitely price us a spot in Q3. We had the tempo and I pushed to the bounds to optimise the whole lot we had in hand and generally errors do occur.
“We’re beginning near the factors and there are all the time alternatives to soak up Monaco. We’ll give it our all from the place we’re beginning with the ambition of scoring factors for the crew.”
Nico Hülkenberg — Haas F1 Staff — twelfth
“I believe the automobile is the place it’s been trying all weekend, simply not fairly adequate for the highest 10. My final lap was fairly clear in Q2 so I’m pleased about that.
“Sadly, we simply weren’t fast sufficient, however the place we’re in P12, we’re going to want to roll the cube and take some dangers to get a end result. We’ll must see the place the whole lot unravels after the beginning.”
Daniel Ricciardo — Visa Money App RB – thirteenth
“It was a troublesome day at the moment. Qualifying is essential right here in Monaco and it hurts beginning exterior the highest 10 for tomorrow’s race. Yesterday we felt we have been in a superb place, I knew there was a bit of bit to return for us so I used to be positively excited coming into at the moment, however sadly, it seems like we took a bit of little bit of a again step.
“I’m not dissatisfied with the best way I drove, it simply merely wasn’t fairly sufficient to get probably the most out of it the place I wanted to. The automobile was barely trickier in some locations and I used to be struggling a bit of, nevertheless it wasn’t a matter of us making any large errors.
“Personally, I simply discovered it troublesome to get the tyres going within the first lap after which, at any time when I used to be in a position to elevate the tempo, we couldn’t discover as a lot time because the others. I’ve certified a number of instances round this place right here and definitely, it received’t make our life straightforward.
“It’s irritating, however we’ll work along with the crew to grasp a number of issues higher and we’ll attempt to get on high of it for the race.”
Lance Stroll — Aston Martin Armaco F1 Staff — 14th
“I believe extra was attainable at the moment. I put in some robust lap instances to progress via to Q1, however then hit some site visitors throughout my ultimate flying lap in Q2.
“That price us a few tenths. It’s particularly powerful to go right here, so I count on we’ll have a troublesome day tomorrow, however we’ll nonetheless be seeking to struggle for factors.”
Kevin Magnussen — Haas F1 Staff — fifteenth
“The tempo was there within the automobile and I believe we might’ve been preventing for Q3, and Q3 in Monaco means you rating factors, so I’m fairly gutted once more. We fuelled the automobile for an additional lap in case within the first lap we encountered site visitors, and we might abort.
“I began the push lap, gained multiple tenth within the first nook however we aborted the lap. Within the second lap, there was site visitors the entire lap.”
Fernando Alonso — Aston Martin Armaco F1 Staff — sixteenth
“It was a case of unsuitable place and unsuitable second at the moment for me. That is Monaco and you could discover some luck right here too! I misplaced fairly a little bit of lap time with the site visitors in Q1 and there’s no person guilty as we are able to’t count on the site visitors to fade.
“Heading into Qualifying, we have been pondering Q3 seemed attainable. Will probably be a troublesome day tomorrow, however we’ll take any alternatives that come our method.”
Logan Sargeant — Williams Racing — seventeenth
It was a superb session for us. I’ve been driving properly since FP1 and I used to be actually pleased with my laps in Qualifying – I felt like I received the whole lot out of the bundle I had at the moment.
“Clearly, we’ve been open that now we have some cross-car variations this weekend and I can solely count on fairly a little bit of the distinction is coming from that. It’s powerful to overhaul right here however we have to concentrate on ourselves, attempt to have clear stints and see what we are able to do tomorrow. Monaco is without doubt one of the most particular tracks to drive.
“To take a seat in an F1 automobile and pull out of the storage for Qualifying is like no different and to have the ability to put the automobile on the sting like that’s the whole lot we dream of so it’s a pleasure to drive right here.”
Sergio Pérez — Oracle Crimson Bull Racing — 18th
“At this time was a whole catastrophe, we didn’t get into the rhythm and we didn’t have the tempo. On my ultimate lap when issues have been trying good, I got here to turns six and 7, they have been filled with site visitors, then there have been some stickers or one thing laid down on the observe and I couldn’t get the lap that I wanted.
“Two or three tenths would have modified it, however I didn’t get it after which sadly the tyres have been too heat and I couldn’t get via Q1. We must always have been in Q3 and given the margins have been so small, a greater lap would have modified issues dramatically, we have been P5 this morning, so we knew what we have been able to.
“It has been a really tough, troublesome weekend for us and never superb general. I’m simply very dissatisfied as a result of we couldn’t get the utmost out of the automobile at the moment and we had a lot extra potential than we confirmed. Sadly, until there’s some rain tomorrow, we can’t hope for a lot, there’s practically zero likelihood to overhaul round right here.”
Valtteri Bottas — Stake F1 Staff Kick Sauber — nineteenth
“At this time has been a tough day within the workplace. I barely touched the wall this morning throughout the ultimate observe session; nothing main, as I used to be nonetheless in a position to participate in Qualifying later within the day. Sadly, we simply didn’t have sufficient one-lap tempo to make it previous the Q2 threshold – that was fairly easy.
“General, it hasn’t been a simple weekend for our crew up to now. Monaco is without doubt one of the most difficult tracks on the calendar – that’s each its greatest characteristic and what makes it so demanding. There shall be a lot to analyze in a single day, to seek out that additional step that would enable us to barely enhance tomorrow.
“Issues must be a bit higher within the race, as soon as the whole lot stabilises, regardless that it’s not going to be a simple one ranging from the very again. Nonetheless, not all hope is misplaced; we all know very properly how something can occur right here, and we’ll be sure that to be at our greatest to catch any good alternative.”
Zhou Guanyu — Stake F1 Staff Kick Sauber — twentieth
“The entire weekend has been troublesome up to now, and at the moment’s qualifying session was no exception. We weren’t in a position to get the whole lot – from tyres to temperature – in the best window at the moment, and I struggled loads with a scarcity of grip.
“On such a observe, you want confidence and grip to extract most out of your laps, and whereas I reckon that my efforts have been fairly clear, we’re nonetheless a second off. In Monaco, Saturday issues most, nonetheless, the race is all the time a unique story, and we’ll use it to raised perceive what we’re missing to shut the hole.
“As a crew we’ll look additional into our setup to see how we are able to enhance forward of tomorrow.”
