Daniel Ricciardo says an engine mode error from Red Bull cost him a chance of qualifying third for the Monaco Grand Prix.

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Sebastian Vettel took third place with a 1:15.849, while Ricciardo took fourth place, 0.2s slower than the Ferrari.

While the result is Ricciardo’s best qualifying of the season he says a mix-up on the pit wall left him in the wrong engine mode at the start of his lap and cost him crucial time on his final run.

“Pit wall thought I was in a different engine mode, which I wasn’t, so then when they’ve told me to make the standard change it’s put us out of the correct one,” Ricciardo said.

“So then starting the lap I could feel the power was down. So I realised we were in the wrong one so I’ve turned it back but it’s only made the switch too late.

“Long story short, before Turn 1 we were 0.2s down and that was that. It was all a bit late.

“Normally I was getting the call to make whatever switches I need to make around Turn 16 and that was fine, it was giving me enough time, but this call came late, in between the second-last and last corner, just after Rascasse.

“So I quickly got on the switches but coming out of the last corner I could feel the power wasn’t right so I’ve then tried to figure it out and it’s kicked in but it was too late. I was in sixth gear, getting in to Turn 1 wasn’t even in seventh.

“It’s free lap time lost so a bit frustrating. It’s the last place you want to have those errors. Could be third today so that’s probably the biggest frustration, we know it could have been better.”

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