Live text
Formula 1
Monaco GP
F1 Monaco GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & Qualifying
Updates from Saturday's F1 FP3 and qualifying sessions ahead of the Monaco GP.
Fresh from the Spanish GP, the F1 action continues with the Monaco GP.
Max Verstappen is the new Formula 1 world championship leader after winning the Spanish GP, as Charles Leclerc was forced to retire from a dominant lead in the race due to a MGU-H and turbo failure with his Ferrari.
Third and final practice for the Monaco GP gets underway at 12.00pm BST (1.00pm local time) before the all-important qualifying session which starts at 3.00pm BST (4.00pm local time).
Live Standings
presented by
Stopped
Summary
14 Days
05 hrs
38 min
54 sec
Full coverage
Check out our full coverage of Miami GP
Live Text
Sort by
Newest first
Oldest first
Newest first
"The rears are too hot," Hamilton says over team radio, and duly goes for a cool down lap, before his next push effort.
Second time around the Merc pairs get it together with Hamilton sixth and Russell eighth.
Russell runs on at the Nouvelle chicane so effectively loses his first lap. Hamilton's first effort isn't quick either so not a great start to the session for Mercedes.
Leclerc slots into third - just 0.033s splitting the top three. How close do you like it?
Stopwatch
The first Q2 laps see Perez go top with a 1m12.059s, ahead of Sainz and Verstappen.
Green flag
Anyway, on we go for Q2. 13 drivers out on track, just missing the Alpines - someone go give them a nudge.
TV replays show Gasly missed the chance to get a last lap in Q1 by about one second. Gutting for the AlphaTauri driver.
Out in Q1: P16 Albon, P17 Gasly, P18 Stroll, P19 Latifi and P20 Zhou. Pure rage from both Stroll and Zhou over their team radios and I'm sure the same from the other three Q1 exiteers.
Gasly, who was fifth fastest in FP3, is the biggest loser out of that having lost his chance to get a final lap in by taking the chequered flag first after the red flag.
Ocon also bolts into the top 15 with ease and that drops Albon out along with Gasly, Stroll, Latifi and Zhou.
Both McLarens get the laps they needed to make it safely into Q2.
Checkered flag
Hamilton, Bottas, Gasly and Zhou all missed the time to get a lap in - that means Zhou is out and will start the race in last place!
Strap in, these next few minutes could get messy.
Some very slow getaways from pitlane as the drivers try to create a gap between each other. Some of these drivers won't get time to get a lap in.
Green flag
Here we go again for Q1.
There's a huge queue at pitlane exit, while Ricciardo will be desperate for a clean lap as he dipped into the drop zone in 16th right when the red flag was called.
It should be said that red flag did look a bit premature but better safe than sorry and no harm done with 2m25s left to go in Q1.
TV replays show Tsunoda clipped the barrier at the Nouvelle chicane and he picked up a puncture which leaves a bit of debris on the track. Q1 will restart in two minutes.
Quote
"I've hit the barrier," Tsunoda reports over team radio. It isn't clear what has caused this red flag as Tsunoda made it back into the pits.
Red flag
Red flag!
Bottas goes from last to 10th, as Vettel also lifts himself out of the drop zone.
Stroll pulls off the same trick to go 11th, to leave Tsunoda with work to do.
Schumacher jumps from the Q1 elimination zone to eighth place, which pushes Stroll into the troubled area.
Stopwatch
A Ferrari 1-2 appears at the top with Leclerc's 1m12.569s and Sainz's 1m12.616s. They should be comfortably into Q2 with five minutes of this session to go.
Stopwatch
Hamilton, who had dropped to 14th and towards the danger zone, puts in a better lap to go sixth quickest with a 1m13.444s.
Verstappen slots into second place just 0.054s off Leclerc's leading lap.
At the other end of the times, it is Vettel, Zhou, Latifi, Bottas and Schumacher in the Q1 drop zone.
Stopwatch
Leclerc, who is out of sync with the field as Ferrari released him and Sainz later than the rest, goes quickest with a 1m12.939s.
Stopwatch
Perez goes quickest with the exact same time as Sainz of 1m13.292s but as the Red Bull driver set the time first he takes top spot as it stands.
Track evolution in play, as Alonso goes top from Norris. This'll be a frantic Q1.
...But Leclerc can't topple the Red Bull 1-2 as he slots into fourth. Sainz backed out of his own lap which leaves him last.
Stopwatch
Verstappen is now quickest with a 1m14.295s. But here come the Ferrari pair...
Quote
"I have no grip whatsoever," Russell reports on team radio as he only goes ninth fastest.
Hamilton then goes quickest with a 1m15.369s, before Perez beats that with a 1m14.369s. Told you it'd be changing quickly.
Stopwatch
Norris leads the early efforts with a 1m15.800s, ahead of Bottas and Vettel.
Lots of early takers in Q1, all looking for that early banker. Given the short lap these times will be coming thick and fast throughout the session.
Lights green
Here we go for Q1. Time to decide the back of the grid.
Sun
Weather check: Lovely and sunny. A bit cooler than yesterday's FP2 at 26C which has also taken the edge off the track temperature at 47.8C. Tomorrow's weather forecast is very different. Anyone for a wet race?
The pre-qualifying fact finding mission also threw up this gem. The last driver to take back-to-back poles in Monaco was Nico Rosberg in 2013 and 2014. Charles Leclerc was technically the polesitter here last year.
To demonstrate what we mean, the last winner to come from lower than even third place on the grid was way back in 1996. Olivier Panis. Yeah, *that* race.
By: Autosport Staff
Published:
Page:
