McLaren believes it'll be "extremely tight" to make Q3

McLaren has been busy in Q3 during the 2019 Formula 1 season. So far, a splash of papaya orange has been present in each of the five Q3's, but technical director James Key believes it'll be "extremely tight" to get into Q3 this weekend.

It's extra important to get a good grid slot on the streets of Monte Carlo, so frustrations in the McLaren garage might be a little high. Looking back on Thursday's performance, Key is preparing himself for a tricky weekend.

“It’s been an eventful day, as expected, here at Monaco. We tried some new parts on both cars. Unfortunately for Carlos, he had a powertrain related issue in FP1 which restricted his running. It was Lando’s first time here in an F1 car and he settled in very well," Key said.

“Good work between the sessions saw us achieve a better balance with both cars in FP2. Lando suffered some stoppage time due to a bit of damage from kerbing. Getting into Q3 is likely to be extremely tight, a matter of tenths or even hundredths.

In Monaco, the big six drivers look likely to grab the first six results, but after that, it's a little tighter. Alex Albon performed well on Thursday, as did Alfa Romeo and Haas.