Sainz: Monaco GP qualifying my “most stressful”
Renault’s Carlos Sainz Jr has called his Q3 lap to qualify in eighth for the Monaco Grand Prix the “most stressful lap” of his Formula 1 career.
Sainz first recorded a 1m12.266s on his first run in Q3 and was provisionally sixth. He slid to eighth at the end of the session, despite improving to a 1m12.130s on his final run.
He was beaten by Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso. Ocon in sixth place was just 0.069s ahead of Sainz’s eventual time.
“My 1m12s lap was the fastest and most stressful lap of my life,” said Sainz in an interview with Sky Sports. “A lot of work to do in the cockpit, with everything coming in so fast, with the walls being extremely close around here.
“But, it’s super fun. I’ve had a lot of fun during that qualifying session – a bit too stressful in my opinion because we didn’t expect McLaren and Force India to jump us in Q1 and Q2 and I had to give 110 percent in Q3 to beat one of them.”
F1’s midfield battle has been closely contested throughout the 2018 season to date. Force India, Renault, McLaren and Toro Rosso were all represented in Q3 in Monaco.
Less than two-tenths separated Pierre Gasly in 10th place with Ocon in sixth.
“This year you have to push 100 percent because the midfield is so tight,” said Sainz. “Esteban [Ocon], Fernando [Alonso], me and Sergio [Perez] were inside one-tenth.
“And every time you do a very good lap you look at the screens and you see yourself P12, not in the top 10 and you need to find another two tenths.
“Next lap you go, you push a bit more and then you find them, so it’s a relief and then they beat you again.
“It’s like that all the time in Q1 and Q2 in this midfield pack.”
Sainz’s Renault team-mate Nico Hulkenberg was 0.098s adrift of reaching Q3 and will start in 11th place.
It is the second consecutive time that Hulkenberg has been outqualified by Sainz, after having previously completed 27 consecutive qualifying sessions without being beaten by a team-mate.