'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
With the first day of running in the 2023 F1 Monaco GP in the rearview mirror, we have an interesting prospect in front of us for Saturday. The qualifying in Monaco is different from any other race on the calendar. In other races, Saturdays could be important to a varying degree, but in Monaco, they are paramount.
A bad qualifying essentially shoves a driver to a place of no return, especially with these humongous cars of the current generation. After the first day of running, a very interesting prospect is in front of us where there is a lack of clarity over who could be the frontrunner for pole position.
There's also a lack of clarity over what to expect from the 2023 F1 Monaco GP qualifying session. Well, let us help you out as we share our predictions of what we can expect during qualifying. So without further ado, let's get straight to it.
#1 Max Verstappen secures pole position for the 2023 F1 Monaco GP
The battle for pole position is going to be fought between the two Red Bull drivers, two Ferrari drivers, and Fernando Alonso. Now, initially, our pick was going to be Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver has been stupendous on this track. To add to this, Monaco is his home race.
The first day of running has, however, revealed that Leclerc is not in the best of grooves. Either Carlos Sainz has found something special with his setup or Leclerc is just facing too many issues nailing the right one himself. Irrespective of what the reasoning is, Leclerc has been somewhat playing catchup with Sainz in the 2023 F1 Monaco GP race weekend.
Out of the five, the two drivers that are arguably the most reliable in terms of wringing the perfect lap out of the car are Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc. With Leclerc not completely comfortable with the car, we lean towards Max to find the perfect lap and secure another pole position for himself.
#2 Fernando Alonso secures a second-row start for the 2023 F1 Monaco GP
Continuing with the thought process in the first prediction, Alonso is going to be one of the five drivers in contention for pole position at the 2023 F1 Monaco GP. With Max Verstappen expected to secure pole position, Ferrari is expected to have that extra tenth or two of the engine mode.
Also, with Perez seemingly struggling a bit with the car, we can expect Alonso to maximize the car's potential and qualify either 3rd or 4th.
#3 The best that a Mercedes driver could achieve is a third-row start
Mercedes seems to be playing catch-up at the 2023 F1 Monaco GP. The car seems to lack those final couple of tenths that could make it an even more potent challenger at the front. To add to this, while Toto Wolff could claim that an optimal setup has been found for both drivers until those statements are replicated on the track, it's hard to believe it.
In all of this, we have McLaren and Alpine sniffing at the heels of the German team over a single lap. Once we take all these things into consideration, it's going to be a tough one for Mercedes.
#4 Keep an eye on Bottas, Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, and Norris
One of the highlights of the 2023 F1 Monaco GP is going to be the very competitive nature of the field in qualifying. From the front-running teams to the ones at the back of the grid, all of them appear to be very close to each other in terms of performance.
With qualifying being the most important part of the weekend, a lot of the results are going to come down to individual brilliance. This is where drivers are going to make a difference. Keep an eye on Bottas, who seems to be performing really well in his Alfa Romeo.
Also, keep an eye on Lando Norris as it won't be a surprise if he outpaces a Mercedes or two this weekend. Other than these two, keep an eye on one-lap specialist like Nico Hulkenberg who might just be able to snatch a Q3 slot somehow.
#5 We could see stoppages and disruptions playing a role
With stakes this high and margins this small, we could be looking at a scenario where drivers are forced to take too many risks too early in the session. Unfortunately, Monaco is not an unforgiving track and we could see a few drivers fall victim to that.
To add to this, traffic could play a major role as well as that could push teams into a situation where drivers have to produce the perfect lap. All in all, in a session that promises chaos, it would not be a surprise if we see a disruption or two due to red flag conditions.
