Official 2024 Monaco Grand Prix Thread ***SPOILERS***

[Adrian W]

Russell puts in a very quick lap and it doesn't look like he was trying that hard, leaving lots of room everywhere

[Byker28i]

Qualifying is going to be interesting with traffic. Just going around others cars cost time

[732NM]

Leclerc looks on for pole, Mercedes look decent. Impossible to call the top 8 apart from pole.

[Adrian W]

Have to wonder are we looking at low 1:10s in qualifying

[PlywoodPascal]

Albon is showing his class vs rest of the midfield drivers (and Perez) here in my view.

[PlywoodPascal]

normally been bored by practice in recent years but this is great, maybe even better than qualifying, watching drivers edge closer and closer to the, er, edge.
verstappen within 2 tenths of Leclerc but set his time after a fair of track improvement since Leclerc time.
verstappen said "if I do more laps like that I'll end in the fence' after too!

[TheDeuce]

Adrian W said:

Have to wonder are we looking at low 1:10s in qualifying

Improvement last year from FP3 to Q3 was 1.4 seconds.

So, yes - should be very low 1:10..

What's interesting is that with so many cars capable of a first or second row finish, they'll all be pushing super hard today - being 'safe' is going to take a lot of effort.

[PlywoodPascal]

TheDeuce said:

Adrian W said:

Have to wonder are we looking at low 1:10s in qualifying

Improvement last year from FP3 to Q3 was 1.4 seconds.

So, yes - should be very low 1:10..

What's interesting is that with so many cars capable of a first or second row finish, they'll all be pushing super hard today - being 'safe' is going to take a lot of effort.

good point, it is so tight from p3-4 downwards.
who do we think will bin it?
I think Russell (he's a way of Hamilton and won't like it, especially since he has the aero upgrade and LH doesn't) and Stroll (explanation needed?).

[Forester1965]

Verstappen not lost his petulant brat side.

[shirt]

Who’s the other guy commentating? Not button? I like his input.

[732NM]

Forester1965 said:

Verstappen not lost his petulant brat side.

Never will, under pressure he reverts to what he is at the core.

[Adrian W]

Forester1965 said:

Verstappen not lost his petulant brat side.

How?

[Adrian W]

PlywoodPascal said:

TheDeuce said:

Adrian W said:

Have to wonder are we looking at low 1:10s in qualifying

Improvement last year from FP3 to Q3 was 1.4 seconds.

So, yes - should be very low 1:10..

What's interesting is that with so many cars capable of a first or second row finish, they'll all be pushing super hard today - being 'safe' is going to take a lot of effort.

good point, it is so tight from p3-4 downwards.
who do we think will bin it?
I think Russell (he's a way of Hamilton and won't like it, especially since he has the aero upgrade and LH doesn't) and Stroll (explanation needed?).

I think looking at the improvements in that session Verstappen can get pole

[Byker28i]

Max under investigation for driving too slowly. Whats the betting he won't get a race penalty. The rules against this were brought in after Max was doing this last season

There was talk Max and Perez were running lower engine modes to save the engine. Looks like they turned it up in P3 after he was 0.6 behind? Now he just got that it's too stiff for the bumps

[732NM]

Max in the tyre is doing more suspension work than the suspension does explanation. Not a lot you can do about that with an undamped tyre sidewall.

Makes me think the Red Bull has a mass damper system linked to the suspension which is overloaded here.

[nordboy]

No Newey in the RB garage? Is he now on gardening leave?

I think qualifying is pretty open, could be one of a few cars and someone is going to get stuck in traffic and possibly go out early because of it.

[732NM]

nordboy said:

No Newey in the RB garage? Is he now on gardening leave?

I think qualifying is pretty open, could be one of a few cars and someone is going to get stuck in traffic and possibly go out early because of it.

He is in the box above the pit

[TheDeuce]

Adrian W said:

I think looking at the improvements in that session Verstappen can get pole

He definitely could get pole. the problem is with CLC so fast here, only a 'perfect' lap will get it done - and a perfect lap here means nearly crashing multiple times.

In fact, that's my prediction. It's going to be brutal this afternoon and I expect at least one big shunt, and by extension, one or more drivers that could do well getting knocked out due to not being able to put in an improved lap.

[TheDeuce]

732NM said:

nordboy said:

No Newey in the RB garage? Is he now on gardening leave?

I think qualifying is pretty open, could be one of a few cars and someone is going to get stuck in traffic and possibly go out early because of it.

He is in the box above the pit

He's no longer a functioning part of RBR F1 - but he is still contracted to them. I imagine he's here at Monaco because, he wants to be

[nordboy]

732NM said:

nordboy said:

No Newey in the RB garage? Is he now on gardening leave?

I think qualifying is pretty open, could be one of a few cars and someone is going to get stuck in traffic and possibly go out early because of it.

He is in the box above the pit

Ahhhh, I saw that Max was having a discussion in the garage with HM, CH and an engineer quite obviously about the cars handling. I assumed that AN wasn't there, thanks.