2022 Monaco GP Qualifying Update and Tips – JP
2022 Monaco GP Qualifying Update
Now, it is time for James Punt’s 2022 Monaco GP Qualifying Update:
The three practice sessions all went without much incident. Bottas missed FP1 with more mechanical woes, Ricciardo crashed in FP2, but apart from that, no great hard luck stories. The weather has been consistent, and everybody is well set for the all-important qualifying session.
Charles Leclerc was fastest in FP1 & 2, but he was pipped in this morning’s FP3, by just 0.041 by Sergio Perez in the Red Bull. It has been the Mexican who has been the fastest Red Bull in practice with Verstappen fourth in each session. There was nothing to suggest that he would be Red Bulls’ main man this weekend, but he has staked a claim.
However, Leclerc has had an answer for Red Bull for the bulk of the track time so far and he remains favourite. The Ferrari looks the more compliant car, and he is the best qualifier on the grid.
As usual it is between the top two teams for pole. Best of the rest looks to be between Pierre Gasly, a bit of a specialist round here, and McLaren’s Lando Norris. It really does look like a coin toss between the two.
Leclerc Fastest
Looking at the inter teammate battles, Leclerc has been the faster Ferrari in all sessions, Perez the faster Red Bull in all sessions. Max Verstappen cannot rely on team orders in qualifying and perhaps Perez is motivated by what happened in Spain.
Hamilton was the fastest of the two Mercedes today, having been second best to Russell yesterday. That could still be close, and the car looks a hard drive.
Norris is doing almost as much to end Ricciardo’s career as the Aussie is doing himself. He used to be a monster here, now? A liability.
Alonso is smashing Ocon up by a big margin. Bottas ahead of Zhou as usual, but the Alfa Romeo has been a big disappointment so far. Gasly is well ahead of Tsunoda, but the young Japanese driver is doing OK, and on the cusp of making Q3. Kevin Magnussen likewise in his Haas. He split the two Mercedes today and I can see him pipping them this afternoon.
Aston Martin Struggling
Aston Martin continue to struggle, but Vettel, a specialist around Monaco, is putting Stroll in the shade. As Usual, Albon is showing why Latifi has no place in F1.
Charles Leclerc is the 1.63 favourite for pole, we are on at 2.00 and hopefully he gets the job done. He has to be foot perfect but so far, so good.
Best of the rest wise, we have Norris at 2.00 and Gasly 2.40. There is not a lot of meat on the bone there. They qualified Norris 5th and Gasly 6th here last year which might be a hint.
There is only one match bet of interest. Perez to out qualify Verstappen. He has only out qualified Verstappen once this year, in Jeddah, another street circuit, and he has outpaced Maxx in all three sessions so far. Perez can just go for it, he is under no real pressure, Max has one eye on the championship and really does not want to stuff it in the wall and start from the back tomorrow. He might just be driving within himself.
2022 Monaco GP Qualifying Tip: 1 point Sergio Perez to out qualify Verstappen @ 2.30 with Ladbrokes
Actually, there are two.
Gasly has good one lap form here and has been faster than Lewis Hamilton in each session so far. The Mercedes looks a real handful and The Gas Man is worth backing at the odds.
