2018 F1 Monaco GP FP3: Ricciardo edges Verstappen as Red Bull lock out the top two

The final practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix took place on Saturday morning, with teams completing their final set-up work before qualifying. Daniel Ricciardo led with a 1:11.786, while Max Verstappen was just 0.001 seconds slower, leaving the two Red Bulls almost inseparable on pace. The result also provided an important reference for the teams’ subsequent set-up work and weekend strategy.

Sebastian Vettel was third, Kimi Räikkönen fourth, Lewis Hamilton fifth and Valtteri Bottas sixth. The leading three teams remained at the front, while Monaco’s narrow streets meant that every gap between the barriers affected a driver’s confidence and lap time. The result also provided an important reference for the teams’ subsequent set-up work and weekend strategy.

The accident happened with around 10 minutes remaining. Verstappen damaged his suspension after clipping the inside wall at the Swimming Pool section, then hit the outside barrier. His car could not be repaired in time, forcing him to miss qualifying, while a gearbox replacement also carried a grid penalty. The result also provided an important reference for the teams’ subsequent set-up work and weekend strategy.

Both Toro Rossos finished in the top eight, with Brendon Hartley seventh and Pierre Gasly eighth. Carlos Sainz was ninth and Sergey Sirotkin 10th, followed by Stoffel Vandoorne in 11th and Esteban Ocon in 12th as the midfield remained closely matched in its final preparations. The result also provided an important reference for the teams’ subsequent set-up work and weekend strategy.

Verstappen’s accident brought out the red flag, interrupting the other drivers’ final long runs and qualifying simulations. The teams had limited time to complete the car’s recovery and clear the circuit, while the officials confirmed that the driver had not been injured in the impact. The result also provided an important reference for the teams’ subsequent set-up work and weekend strategy.

Ricciardo completed 23 laps in the session and Verstappen 14, while Bottas ran 27 and Räikkönen 26. Although little separated the Red Bulls in first and second, both drivers showed a good tyre operating window. Qualifying would test whether they could turn that speed into grid position.

Pole position and a place on the front row are especially valuable in Monaco, where overtaking on race day is difficult through pure speed alone. Verstappen’s absence from qualifying ended his prospects of fighting for pole, leaving Red Bull’s tactical focus on protecting Ricciardo’s opportunity. The result also provided an important reference for the teams’ subsequent set-up work and weekend strategy.

The official F1 results recorded Ricciardo first in 1:11.786, with Verstappen 0.001 seconds behind in second. The table below shows the complete FP3 results for all 20 drivers. Verstappen’s position came from the lap he had set before his accident; he subsequently did not take part in qualifying. The result also provided an important reference for the teams’ subsequent set-up work and weekend strategy.