A DEFLATED Lewis Hamilton believes his miserable run of bad luck is now "becoming the norm" following another mechanical failure which he believes cost him a certain pole position for Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix.
Hamilton's shot at pole at a circuit where overtaking is virtually impossible, was severely hampered by a fuel pressure issue.
Indeed the world champion had sufficient time to post just one flying lap in a qualifying session which saw Daniel Ricciardo claim the first pole position of his career and Red Bull's first in more than two years.
READ MORE: Monaco Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel posts fastest lap time in final practice
And to make matters worse for Hamilton, his Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg, whom he trails by 43 points in the championship, will start one place ahead of him in second.
Hamilton, who has now encountered engine problems in three of this year's six grands prix, has been surprisingly positive in the face of adversity.
But slumped in his chair, while spooning strawberries and yoghurt from a bowl, Hamilton could not mask his disappointment.
"It is just becoming the norm now, so it should be expected," said Hamilton as he moodily addressed the fraught defence of his third championship.
Asked if he would have beaten Ricciardo's Red Bull, the mono-syllabic Englishman replied: "Absolutely. It was going to be close for sure, but I definitely think so".
Hamilton emerged for Q3 - the final phase of qualifying - but was told to stop at the end of the pit-lane by his team before his car was recovered by his mechanics.
"They told me not to leave the pit lane," said Hamilton, who will head into Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix without a victory from the last eight races, and having last won here in 2008.
"At that point I thought I might be starting from 10th again. My only thought was I hope I get to go out just to do one lap."
While Mercedes still lead both championships, their reliability has come under intense scrutiny this season. But on Saturday night, Hamilton's Mercedes boss Toto Wolff launched a staunch defence of his team.
"Lewis wears his heart on his sleeve and when he has a bad day you can see it," Wolff said. "I am not blaming any person but we are trying to identify the route cause of the problem.
READ MORE: Monaco Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel posts fastest lap time in final practice
"It would be so easy in these circumstances to go in and apply huge pressure, give somebody a b*****king and hope that it is going to work out, but you need to empower them and support them in these circumstances."
In contrast, Ricciardo, was thrilled to secure the maiden pole of his career with a blistering lap.
''I knew coming into the weekend I had a shot at it,'' he said. "I think after the last few races, I feel like I have been driving well, but not getting maximum reward. I came in with a lot of confidence and a lot of belief.''
Ricciardo's Red Bull team-mate Max Verstappen thrilled the sport with his incredible victory at the Spanish Grand Prix to become Formula One's youngest-ever winner last time out, but the 18-year-old crashed out of qualifying in dramatic fashion. He will start last but one on Sunday.
Jenson Button predicted this historic venue would herald his best chance of a strong finish this season, but the 2009 world champion failed to reach the final phase of qualifying and will start only 13th.
READ MORE: Monaco Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel posts fastest lap time in final practice
He was three tenths adrift of his McLaren team-mate Fernando Alonso, who made it through to Q3, and posted a lap good enough for 10th.
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