Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes problem cost me Monaco pole position

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton admits it is tough to deal with the run of technical problems that have hit him this year.

The Briton will start third in Monaco behind Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo and team-mate Nico Rosberg and says an engine issue "cost me pole".

"There is one part of me wants to go in all guns blazing, but then there is the side which knows I'm world champion and these guys look to me," said Hamilton.

"They're probably feeling what I am feeling. I'm going to get everyone up."

He added: "That's what a team player does."

Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix is live on the BBC Sport website and radio 5 live from 13:00 BST

Hamilton suffered a loss of fuel pressure when waiting at the end of the pit lane for the start of the top 10 shoot-out in Monaco.

The 31-year-old had to be wheeled back to his pit for the mechanics to fix the problem, which meant he only had time for one quick lap, rather than the two runs all his rivals had.

Rosberg suffered the same issue - but his struck while he was still in the pits, so it did not affect his session.

"I'm really struggling for words after that session," said Hamilton. "I try to turn it positive. I'm grateful I could get going again, I was really happy with my lap.

"It was lap four of those tyres so they weren't at peak performance, but I did my best with what I had."

Hamilton added: "It makes a big difference when you have a banker lap and work on it and build on it."

He explained that his final run had not gone to plan either, as he encountered traffic on his first attempt at a flying lap, and was then told to do two further slow laps before his last attempt to ensure he did not have the same problem again.

"It cost me pole. My state of mind is to at least finish where I am. If I can gain another position, that would be great. I am just hoping the car stays together [in the race]."

It is the latest in a string of problems that have afflicted Hamilton this season, while Rosberg won the first four races.

He made poor starts in the first two races in Australia and Bahrain, which led to collisions at the first corner that damaged his car. He recovered to take second and third place respectively.

Identical engine problems in qualifying in China and Russia proved costly too, as he was forced to start from the back in Shanghai and 10th in Russia, from which he salvaged a seventh place and a second.

The two Mercedes drivers crashed together on the first lap in Spain two weeks ago.

Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said the number of technical problems affecting Hamilton were "starting to get a bit frustrating".

He said: "Lewis wears his heart on his sleeve. When he has a bad day, you can see it. It's fair enough. It's his character.

"He has bounced back really well since Barcelona but we are all upset that he keeps having these gremlins."

Practice results

Monaco Grand Prix coverage details

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