Qualifying started as an exciting prospect with rain in the air and more predicted. The opening session, as it turned out, was more exciting than the other two, as driver after driver banged in faster and faster laps. Q1 presented the drivers with a wet track that forced them to opt for Intermediate tyres. The excitement and drama was rife, as the track began drying almost immediately and pole position was traded time and again. It appeared that Q1 was going to be more a case of perseverance and timing over raw pace and precision, because almost every car was clocking up a faster time as they crossed the line. The main story of Q1 was Grosjean's great lap, in a car that had been rebuilt overnight after his shunt in Friday practice. He flew threw to Q2 in fourth position.
Unfortunately Grosjean was unable to qualify for the top ten shoot out and there was similar disappointment for Van Der Garde. He put in a stirling lap, in the second half of Q2, only to be bumped down the order and out of the session. However, Caterham can be pleased with a very strong performance and will look to build on that. Paul Di Resta was one driver who fell foul of poor timing, when Force India kept him out on rapidly deteriorating Intermediate tyres, making him a sitting duck in the final moments of Q2.
It looked to be the Red Bull show in the final stages of Q3, until the Mercedes drivers came to ruin their day again. Rosberg popped his silver arrow on pole whilst Lewis banged in a time that secured the front row for himself as well. The important thing to consider is that passing is extremely difficult on the tight streets of Monaco and the sluggish race pace of the Mercedes may still be able to hold everyone behind it.
The Grid:
| 1 | N Rosberg (GER) | Mercedes | 1'13.876 |
| 2 | LC Hamilton (GBR) | Mercedes | 1'13.967 |
| 3 | S Vettel (GER) | Red Bull | 1'13.980 |
| 4 | M Webber (AUS) | Red Bull | 1'14.181 |
| 5 | KM Räikkönen (FIN) | Lotus | 1'14.822 |
| 6 | F Alonso (ESP) | Ferrari | 1'14.824 |
| 7 | S Perez (MEX) | McLaren | 1'15.138 |
| 8 | A Sutil (GER) | Force India | 1'15.383 |
| 9 | J Button (GBR) | McLaren | 1'15.647 |
| 10 | JE Vergne (FRA) | Toro Rosso | 1'15.703 |
| 11 | N Hülkenberg (GER) | Sauber | 1'18.331 |
| 12 | D Ricciardo (AUS) | Toro Rosso | 1'18.344 |
| 13 | R Grosjean (FRA) | Lotus | 1'18.603 |
| 14 | V Bottas (FIN) | Williams | 1'19.077 |
| 15 | G van der Garde (NED) | Caterham | 1'19.408 |
| 16 | P Maldonado (VEN) | Williams | 1'21.688 |
| 17 | P di Resta (GBR) | Force India | 1'26.322 |
| 18 | C Pic (FRA) | Caterham | 1'26.633 |
| 19 | E Gutiérrez (MEX) | Sauber | 1'26.917 |
| 20 | M Chilton (GBR) | Marussia | 1'27.303 |
| 21 | J Bianchi (FRA) | Marussia | - |
| 22 | F Massa (BRA) | Ferrari | - |
