Lewis Hamilton Slips Up In Monaco

Ferrari will start the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday with Kimi Raikkonen in pole position and championship leader Sebastian Vettel next to him. The Formula one race will be held on Sunday.

"But not many people in the world can say they have a Monaco Grand Prix win under their belt". A few hours later the head-scratching began.

Valtteri Bottas put the other Mercedes in P3, but it was scant consolation for Niki Lauda, who was left enraged by Hamilton's "disastrous" run.

An F1 rarity sent ripples through the F1 paddock: meticulous Mercedes got its set-up all wrong when switching to the quicker ultra-soft tires during the afternoon session.

"I'm not sure why the tyres weren't working, but the difference between the two sessions was night and day, black and white".

"I'm pretty pleased", said Ricciardo. "Ferrari are very quick again. We're looking forward to a real fight on Saturday".

"We were unable to exploit tire grip and we slipped through several corners", Hamilton analyzed.

Monaco is unique in F1 schedule, especially because the drivers get off on Friday. "We were really able to feel the auto and get the most out of it". His hopes of a third Monaco victory seemingly in tatters. 178 seconds and was followed by his team-mate Sebastian Vettel who clocked the second fastest time.

Given the reliability and speed of Ferrari's vehicle, Raikkonen has a good chance of securing a 21st race win and his first since 2013 when he drove for Lotus at the season-opening Australian GP.

"Nevertheless I'll happily take it".

Just six points separate the two drivers at the top of the table and, with their respective Mercedes and Ferrari cars closely matched, the season is likely to be nip and tuck between the pair throughout. The always impressive Monaco marshals sorted the situation in about five minutes, allowing the session to continue. "There is respect both ways (with Hamilton), which is good", Bottas said.

It's a significant deficit when teams are scrapping for minimal gains.

"We committed to the set-up as it takes longer than a session to change and we made a decision to push through and collect some data", he told Sky Sports television. "At least we've learned what not to do with the set-up here".

Trying to get the front and rear carcass temperature in the correct window at the same time without overheating the surface of the tyre is a fine balancing act, and Mercedes struggled more than most.

The overriding image from the second session, however, was the Williams of Lance Stroll being hauled away by crane after he crashed into the barriers at Casino Square. The 18-year-old Canadian crashed into the barriers near Casino Square, bringing the session to a brief halt while his vehicle was lifted off the track.

Formula One world champions Mercedes took a wrong turn in Monaco Grand Prix practice on Thursday with Lewis Hamilton only eighth fastest after a hard afternoon around the narrow street circuit.

"I don't know why everyone thinks it will be different tomorrow than the last two years", Raikkonen said.

"I don't know, I've not spoken to the guys so I can't really pinpoint it at the moment", he told reporters.

Hamilton is set to start tomorrow's classic 78-lap race from 13th on the grid after qualifying 14th and moving up one place thanks to fellow Briton Jenson Button's 15-place grid penalty for an engine units change with his McLaren vehicle. This was also the last time Ferrari claimed the front row.