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The third free practice session of the Monaco GP weekend is done and dusted and what we have in front of us is one intriguing qualifying session. Red Bull's Sergio Perez was at the top of the standings closely followed by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. In a session that ran without any disruption or red flags, there's a lot to unpack. So, without further ado let's jump straight to what we learned from the FP3 session of the Monaco GP.
Monaco GP FP3: What did we learn?
#1 It's Red Bull vs Ferrari at the front, but Max Verstappen is struggling
Ferrari looks like the more secure car on the track. It's riding the slow speed sections better, the traction is great, and the lap times are coming. Red Bull, however, is not that far behind. This time around, though, we might be looking at a rare occurrence where Max Verstappen is not the fastest driver on his team.
Sergio Perez seems to be able to get more out of the car and if FP3 is any indication, it might be Perez vs. Leclerc for pole during qualifying.
#2 Mercedes is struggling to put things together for the Monaco GP
The old Mercedes is back in the Monaco GP. The car just does not look good and the drivers are struggling to pull something significant out of the car. Don't get fooled by the timesheets because in essence, when the conditions were the same, both the Mercedes drivers struggled to match up to the AlphaTauris and the McLaren of Daniel Ricciardo.
Mercedes could just be the fifth-fastest car in qualifying and if Lewis Hamilton is eliminated in Q2, it might not be that big a surprise.
#3 McLaren and Alpha Tauri are on rails around the track
Both Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly will be having a huge smile on their faces after the Free Practice sessions. McLaren and AlphaTauri have been handling beautifully around the track, so much so that it's not hard to envision a (P5, P6) third row with Gasly and Norris on it. The two teams appear to have a strong car around Monaco and are making the most of it.
#4 Drivers are going to make all the difference
There is a clear theme once you move beyond the top-6 or top-8 in the timesheets. That theme is the driver making all the difference. For Aston Martin, it is Sebastian Vettel who seems to be schooling Lance Stroll in every session. For Haas, Kevin Magnussen is doing that to Mick Schumacher, while for Alpine, Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon are seemingly driving two different cars.
On this track, drivers are going to make a difference, so watch out for veterans like Vettel and Alonso in qualifying compared to their teammates.
#5 Aston Martin is in for a disappointment
Speaking of the heavily revamped Aston Martin, things don't look good for the team once again. It's not as if the car looks undriveable or anything. It's just slow in comparison to the cars around it.
Sebastian Vettel seems to be pulling off mini-miracles in that car time and again, but if we are honest, that Aston Martin looks to be the 9th-fastest car yet again. It wouldn't be a surprise if one or both of the drivers get eliminated in the Monaco GP Q1.
