2022 F1 Monaco GP: Qualifying Predictions

The first day of running for the Monaco GP is now complete and we have already covered what we learned in FP1 and FP2. We already know that it's that likable Ferrari driver who is at the top of the standings, we know poor Daniel Ricciardo did not have a great FP2, and we also know that the Mercedes is bouncing again.

That's not what you're here for, however! You're here for the good stuff! You want to know who will do well and who won't. You want to know who will struggle, you want to know who will surprise, and most importantly you want to know who gets the pole position for the Monaco GP.

So, without further ado, let's jump straight to it!

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Predictions for 2022 F1 Monaco GP Qualifying

Disappointment of the session (Team)

Lewis Hamilton had the potential to fight for the race win in Barcelona if one goes by Toto Wolff's words. Mercedes was expected to leave all its troubles behind and good times were ahead! Well, that's not the case.

As we said earlier, Mercedes is bouncing again! The car was a handful in both the Monaco GP FP1 and FP2 sessions and both drivers were unhappy with how the car behaved. Assuming it nails everything, the Mercedes is the 4th fastest car on the grid at the moment. If it achieves that result tomorrow, it will be a disappointment, won't it?

Disappointment of the session (Driver)

Sebastian Vettel appears to have hit his stride this season and is driving at a very high level. The new Aston Martin, however, is as bad as the old one. How Vettel was able to drag a lap time good enough to be P9 is a mystery for everyone.

In the other cockpit, though, Lance Stroll is getting somewhat exposed now. The gap between him and Vettel has been unflattering in qualifying regularly this season and that was the case again in FP2 today.

Aston Martin is not a car that looks destined for great things, but Vettel appears to be dragging tenths out of nowhere, which makes Stroll look bad. In the Monaco GP qualifying session, expect Lance Stroll to get eliminated in Q1.

Surprise of the session (Team)

AlphaTauri has looked surprisingly good over the Monaco GP weekend and Pierre Gasly has been a standout for the team as well. The car seems to come alive in the low to medium speed sections and that was the case here as well. Watch out for AlphaTauri sneaking both the cars into the top 10 this weekend.

Surprise of the session (Driver)

That McLaren looks splendid in Monaco in the hands of Lando Norris. The car has looked fantastic ever since it first set a lap on the track. It might not be the fastest car on the grid, but it could easily be the third-fastest if Mercedes cannot get its act together for Monaco GP qualifying. With the kind of form that Norris is showing, can he nick at least one of the Red Bull or Ferrari's spots in qualifying? It could be a possibility! Hence, we're backing Lando Norris to qualify in the top 4!

Now that would be a surprise, wouldn't it?

Top 3 in Monaco GP qualifying

This time around, it is slightly tough to pick which one out of the Red Bull or Ferrari drivers we should leave out. Especially because Sergio Perez looked sublime in qualifying and probably had a better handle on the Red Bull. The Ferraris, however, clearly look like the faster package over a single lap in Monaco.

If we go by the form displayed in FP2, we pick the two Ferraris and Sergio Perez. It would be foolish, however, to ignore the talent and the consistency of Max Verstappen as well.

Gun to the head? Who are we picking? We're going with the top 3 of the two Ferrari drivers and Max Verstappen. The order would be Charles Leclerc once again scoring pole position with Max Verstappen alongside him on the front row while Carlos Sainz qualifies in 3rd.