Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff labelled his team’s qualifying display at the Monaco Grand Prix as “abysmal” after both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli failed to reach the top 10. The pair will start from 14th and 15th respectively, with Antonelli having set a fast enough time to advance from Q1 despite crashing in the closing stages of the segment.
According to Sky Sports F1, Wolff expressed his disappointment with the team’s performance, saying: “Abysmal. We just started to have a car that went and these mistakes, they happen whether they are a senior driver or not. When it comes to George we need to find out what happened on the engine.”
The team’s struggles began in Q1 when Antonelli crashed, breaking his car’s front-left suspension against the Armco turning in to the harbourside chicane on his final timed lap. “It was a very unnecessary and costly mistake,” admitted Antonelli. “A shame to end the session like this. I feel sorry for the team because that was fully on me.”
Russell’s session ended at the start of Q2 when his Mercedes lost electrical power after going over a bump on the exit of Ste Devote, before eventually coming to a stop in the tunnel. Russell told Sky Sports F1: “Two races, two problems. It’s obviously not good. Totally different reasons. I was on a straight and hit the bump. The bump was there all this weekend but on this occasion, the engine stopped working.”
The Monaco Grand Prix qualifying session was marked by a series of incidents, with both Mercedes drivers failing to make it to Q3 for the first time in more than three years. Despite this, Wolff remains hopeful that the team can make progress in the race, particularly with the introduction of a new rule mandating two pit stops. “We are hoping to have a reverse grid or something!” he joked. “With this mandatory two stops, there are a few variables.”
Sunday’s race will see the introduction of the new tyre rule, which could offer more opportunities for drivers further down the field to turn around their weekends. However, Russell remains pessimistic about his chances, saying: “I think you will see half of the drivers will go one direction, half will go in the other so there’s not much you can do from this position.”
Antonelli, meanwhile, is determined to make up as many places as possible, saying: “We need to think a lot differently. Also because we did not expect to start this far back with both cars, so definitely we have to do something crazy. I will need to speak with the team in order to make up as many places as possible.”
The Monaco Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, with the race live at 2pm on Sky Sports F1. The build-up to the race begins at 12:30pm, with reaction and analysis to follow after the chequered flag.
In related news, Sky Sports F1 has announced its schedule for the weekend, which includes live coverage of the F3 and F2 Feature Races, as well as the Grand Prix Sunday build-up. Fans can stream Sky Sports with NOW, with no contract and the option to cancel anytime.
As the teams prepare for the Monaco Grand Prix, they will be aware of the challenges posed by the narrow street track. However, with the new tyre rule in place, there is a chance for drivers like Russell and Antonelli to make up ground and secure a better result.
In conclusion, Mercedes’ qualifying display at the Monaco Grand Prix was a disappointing one, with both drivers failing to reach the top 10. However, with the introduction of the new tyre rule and the team’s determination to make progress, there is still hope for a better result on Sunday. As Sky Sports F1 continues to provide live coverage of the weekend, fans can tune in to see how the teams perform on Sunday.
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