Red Bull could be on front row - Marko

Dr Helmut Marko is not ruling out a front row qualifying for Red Bull in Monaco.

That is despite the fact technical boss Adrian Newey earlier played down the former champions’ chances of a repeat of 2016, when victory was a real possibility.

However, so far in the two Thursday practice sessions, it was Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel topping the times.

"Hamilton and Vettel were ahead because of their impressive ability around the corners," Marko told the Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung.

"But we are with the music," he added.

"The gap is tight and we are definitely closer. Our direction is right," Marko said.

So especially with Mercedes struggling for pace in Thursday’s later session, Marko is now looking ahead to a good qualifying for Red Bull.

And the possibility of a trip to the podium on Sunday?: "Nothing is impossible," he said, "but I think Mercedes has a very different power unit.

"I do think that everything from the first to the third row is possible," Marko added.