Nico Rosberg might have taken his third pole position in a row, but he is yet to convert any of them into a race win or even a podium finish.
The German is hoping to spring a surprise on Sunday in Monaco, but admits, despite improvements to the car, their weakness remains rear-tyre wear which will make victory ‘difficult’.
“I’m just very happy starting first,” he said after qualifying.
“Everything went to plan and the last lap was OK so it’s great to be on pole again, especially in Monaco. If it’s at any track then it’s this track where it makes a difference.”
But he warned starting at the front might not be enough.
“In Barcelona we were still struggling a lot in the race, I was 70 seconds behind the race winner by the end. We’re improving, it’s difficult to understand the tyres and get the most out of it. We’re improving step-by-step but there are still a lot of question marks remaining.
“Here I’m sure we’ve made a step forward but it’s still going to be difficult for us tomorrow, definitely. It’s still our weakness, but we can make the best of it and who knows you can always have a few surprises.”
