Tsunoda Shines in Monaco Qualifying and Ricciardo Struggles

Yuki Tsunoda secures an impressive 8th place in Monaco, while Daniel Ricciardo faces disappointment, eliminated in Q2.

Yuki Tsunoda once again delivered an impressive qualifying performance in his RB F1 on the streets of Monaco. The Japanese driver, who previously struggled with this circuit, secured 8th place on the grid, setting himself up well for scoring points in the race. However, it wasn’t an easy feat.

“I’m happy; it was much harder than expected. Many of our rivals gained pace, and getting into Q3 wasn’t easy. But I managed to find a few extra thousandths and finished eighth. It was a good day,” Tsunoda stated.

“The car’s pace on long runs was good, and I’ll try to maximize that. It’s not easy to overtake, but I’ll give it everything and hope for good pace tomorrow.”

Daniel Ricciardo was eliminated in Q2. The Australian, who was just 0.2-0.3 seconds behind his teammate throughout the weekend, will start 13th.

“I struggled personally; I couldn’t piece everything together. I had trouble getting the front tires to work, and in the twisty middle sector, my pace was hemorrhaging.”

“It hurts here because qualifying is so important, and it’s tough starting so far back. I love driving here, but the qualifying result takes away some of that joy, so it’s all relative.”

“We need to stay optimistic, but I’m not sure I can be. I felt good yesterday, knowing we could do better, but we seem to have fallen behind a bit.”