Monaco Grand Prix: Daniel Ricciardo struggles in qualifying

Daniel Ricciardo’s frustrations were laid bare during qualifying in Monaco, doing little to end speculation he’s about to be dropped.

Australian Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo in Monaco. Picture: AFP

Daniel Ricciardo will start in 14th position on the grid at the Monaco Grand Prix after a frustrating qualifying session, where he graffitied his helmet with the abbreviations for “f..k em all” that has done nothing to quell speculation he will be dropped from Formula One by the end of the season.

Ricciardo was once again outshone by his McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who was fifth in qualifying, and the Australian dropped his visor and banged his head on the steering wheel as the car was being pushed into the garage after failing to make Q3.

Ricciardo knows the opportunities to turn around a lacklustre season are rapidly diminishing especially as McLaren is openly extending contracts of young drivers poised to take his seat.

Before qualifying, Ricciardo, 32, wrote on the back of his helmet “FEA”, which is open to interpretation as to its meaning.

When asked by The Australian if the initials reflected his current frustration, Ricciardo laughed insisted it meant “forever after” and was a love story and helped pump him up.

He added: “it is not directed at anyone, it gets me in my happy place. As a driver when you put your helmet on, its significant, like flipping a switch, it is the last thing I see before putting the helmet on and reminds me to channel in and get into the zone.”

Ricciardo said he still had a contract in place for next year, but acknowledged that “I don’t want to be 14th, that is not why I race”.

He believed his struggles didn’t “change the course” of his F1 future.

Team principal Andreas Seidl said it was important “to keep eyes down, keep analysing, see what we can do with the car to help Daniel find his last percentages that are missing”.

He said he wouldn’t talk about contract details, including if there were break clauses in the deal.

Monte Carlo hometown hero Charles Le Clerc will start on pole after a scorching lap to keep Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz at bay, although a red flag stopped the Q3 session prematurely.

Sergio Perez spun into the barriers on the final turn before the tunnel and closely following Sainz then collected him.

Perez still finished third overall with Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen in fourth.

LeClerc said the Ferrari front row lockout on the street circuit that is notoriously difficult to overtake was “very special”.

Before Monaco, a race that Ricciardo won in 2018 in his final throes of being a Red Bull driver, the McLaren boss Zak Brown announced that the Mclaren IndyCar team had extended a deal with F1 aspirant, 23 year old Mexican Pato O’Ward.

Brown also opined of Ricciardo “I would like to see him further up the grid”.

The Monaco paddock has been awash with talk about the future of the Monaco race, as its contractual agreement with F1 is up for renegotiation. While the race is the jewel in the F1 crown, the money that goes to race organisers from the Principality is much less than other races on the crowded calendar.