Hamilton not happy with his W13: 'We're quite a bit behind'

Like the rest of the field, Hamilton was also hampered by the red flag after Sergio Perez's crash. However, the seven-time world champion does not think he could have improved his time. "The red flags cost me my last lap, but I don't think it would have ended differently. In hindsight, I started my first lap in the wrong engine mode, but Monaco is just like that and it was an unfortunate session," he told Mercedes' press release.

At the Spanish Grand Prix, Hamilton was still praising his W13, but in Monaco, the team seems to be underperforming again. "The car feels very poor and we have to take big risks to get close to the times of the cars in front of us. Even with a perfect lap, I think we would still be six tenths behind, which is quite a gap," continued the seven-time world champion.

Rain could provide opportunities

Rain is predicted for Sunday's race, which could provide opportunities. In Monaco, overtaking is already difficult, but with the rain, safety cars and red flags could play a role. "Now we have to wait and see what the weather does on Sunday and try to make some progress," he said.