Sebastian Vettel says Ferrari 'got worse' in Monaco GP qualifying
Sebastian Vettel declared his Monaco Grand Prix Formula 1 qualifying session a missed opportunity after Ferrari struggled to match Daniel Ricciardo and the Mercedes drivers when it counted
Ferrari appeared to have turned its fortunes around after a difficult Thursday when Vettel topped final practice on Saturday morning.
The German was then fastest in Q1, but he fell back as qualifying progressed and finished the session fourth, nearly one second off the pace.
"I'm really disappointed, because what we did on the car from Thursday to today was really good and we improved it a lot," said Vettel.
"I didn't find the same grip that I found in Q1, it seemed to get worse for us while it got better for everyone else.
"It's disappointing because I missed a good opportunity to start the race potentially from the front tomorrow.
"We were not able to make the normal progress so by the end of qualifying we were fourth, but it could have been a much better result.
"We were not good on Thursday, that's not a secret, but we made a big step forward for today.
"I don't think the laptimes we saw [from others] were out of range, it was just a question of us losing the rhythm.
"We have a great car, great pace, whether we will be able to show that or not depends on how the race unfolds.
"Monaco can be very boring, but it can be very exciting as well."
RAIKKONEN UNSURE AFTER TOUGH DAY
Vettel's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who falls from sixth to 11th thanks to a grid penalty for a gearbox change, said it was tough to pinpoint where Ferrari had gone wrong.
"This is where we are, whether we are underperforming or not, I don't know," said the Finn.
"This is a tough start today and we have to deal with it.
"We'll look at how to fix it, maybe normal service will go tomorrow.
"It'll be tough racing tomorrow, there's a lot of cars in front of me, it's hard to pass around here, but we will do our best and see what we can get out of it."
Monaco Grand Prix: Magnussen escapes penalty for pit exit red light
Monaco Grand Prix: Daniil Kvyat's car fails F1 scrutineering
Dixon: Ganassi found two "big things" to improve IndyCar form
Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon says Chip Ganassi Racing has focused on improving its road course form after inconsistencies last season, and believes there has been breakthroughs for 2023.
Armstrong feels “confident” adapting to “very natural” IndyCar
Chip Ganassi Racing rookie Marcus Armstrong says he already feels confident in an IndyCar, after just two days of testing ahead of the 2023 season.
FIA reveals six F1 engine suppliers signed up for 2026
The FIA has revealed that six manufacturers have signed up for the next generation of Formula 1 engine regulations starting in 2026, including Red Bull Ford, Audi and Honda.
Red Bull to use fan-designed F1 livery for three US races in 2023
Red Bull will race with fan-designed liveries for the three Formula 1 races in the United States this year.
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
OPINION: With teams outside the top three having struggled in Formula 1 in recent seasons, the rules changes introduced in 2022 should have more of an impact this season. How well Haas does, as the poster child for the kind of team that F1 wanted to be able to challenge at the front, is crucial
The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
How do the best races of F1 2022 stack up to 2021?
OPINION: A system to score all the grands prix from the past two seasons produces some interesting results and sets a standard that 2023 should surely exceed
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.