Lewis Hamilton emerged as the fastest driver in the first practice session on Friday.
Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)
After a strong showing in practice, Lewis Hamilton was disappointed with seventh place in qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion was four tenths behind the leader.
Once again, Mercedes failed to secure a spot on the front row this season, with George Russell qualifying in fifth in the W15. Despite promising practice sessions, the team was surprised by Charles Leclerc’s impressive performance, securing his third pole position in Monaco.
McLaren and Ferrari once again demonstrated their superiority over Mercedes this season, securing the top four positions for Sunday’s race in Monaco. Lewis Hamilton now faces a challenging task, especially considering the narrow track that limits overtaking opportunities.
Hamilton: It was difficult to beat George with the upgrades. My driving style hasn’t changed, but I’m struggling to improve my lap time. For some reason, we’re much closer this weekend, but still three tenths behind.
Hamilton admitted that he couldn’t beat George Russell, who qualified higher than him on the grid. He also mentioned that the car showed improvement, but still remained three tenths of a second behind. Now, Mercedes will focus on giving their best tomorrow to make the most of the advantage they felt with the car this weekend.
George Russell expressed his admiration for the team after securing fifth place in the Monaco qualifying, just three hundredths of a second behind the second-placed driver. Russell raced on Saturday with a modified front wing, which proved beneficial for him.
Although Russell had difficulties finding the ideal rhythm in Q1 and Q2, he managed to drive the car better in Q3 and almost secured second place, being overtaken by Piastri on the last lap.
Mercedes historically struggles to find a good pace in Monaco, but George Russell hopes that the recent qualifying session is a positive sign for the team. Russell will now seek to reduce the gap as much as possible on the challenging Monaco circuit, with reports of rain during the race.
