Lewis Hamilton says Red Bull and Ferrari "are in a league of their own" as Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen prepare to battle it out once again at the French Grand Prix.
Leclerc came out on top at the Austrian Grand Prix two weeks ago and will start Sunday's race at Circuit Paul Ricard in pole position for the seventh time this season.
The Ferrari driver has momentum on his side, but he still trails Red Bull rival Verstappen by 38 points heading into the 12th race of 2022.
Verstappen's team-mate Sergio Perez finished third in qualifying after recovering from some flat practice showings, while Mercedes driver Hamilton was a distant fourth.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton is still seeking his first win of the campaign, but that seems unlikely to arrive in his 300th grand prix on the basis of Saturday's qualifying.
"It's not that it is disheartening, but you do a lap and you are told it is 1.7 seconds off and you are like 'what?'" Hamilton said.
"And then you do a really good lap and you are 1.1 seconds off and you are like 'wow'. There is nothing I can do in my power to change that.
"Everyone is working as hard as they can. Each weekend we come with little bits to try and improve, but sometimes that doesn't make a difference and that is difficult.
"The top two teams are in their own league. I came here this weekend hoping we would be within three tenths of them, and we are a second back.
"If it is anything like this it is going to be a while before we win, but it's not impossible."
The driver starting on pole has won the past three French GPs – Hamilton in 2018 and 2019 and Verstappen last year – though not since 1960 has it happened four times in a row.
Leclerc's 16th career pole was achieved in large thanks to a tow from team-mate Carlos Sainz, who will start at the back of the grid after a fourth engine change of the season.
Sainz provided a tow down the straights to help Leclerc edge Verstappen, but the latter does not believe the same tactic would have worked for Red Bull.
"No, because Ferrari gained only two to two-and-a-half tenths with the slipstream, Charles told me," Verstappen said. "It was also very logical that they did it.
"Obviously both me and Sergio Perez want to be in the best position possible. That's why I don't think we're doing that sort of thing. Neither of us had a grid penalty, either.
"It also seems logical to me. We are both still fighting for the title, so it is difficult to explain. It is up to Ferrari if they want to do that, but within our team we haven't talked about it."
Should Verstappen and Perez earn at least 12 points on Sunday, Red Bull will join Ferrari (9,015) and Mercedes (6,535.50) as the third team ever to reach the 6,000 points mark.
Perez has placed in the top two in six of the past seven finished races, two times more than his previous 186, and the Mexican is delighted with his starting position.
"It's been a good recovery. I've been nowhere the whole weekend. To be honest, I've been struggling a lot," he said.
"I think it's probably been my worst weekend up to qualifying, really, and finally we managed to recover well. Now we will try to beat those red cars. They were very strong today."
McLaren chief Brown: Managing Norris and Piastri will be a challenge
McLaren chief executive Zak Brown accepts managing Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will be a challenge as the team-mates vie for the 2025 Drivers' Championship.
Norris won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, the last race of the 2024 Formula One season, to secure the Constructors' Championship for McLaren before declaring that "next year is my year".
McLaren had not won a constructors' title since 1998.
Piastri has also confirmed that individual glory is his aim for 2025 and Brown conceded that juggling the prospects of both drivers may prove challenging.
He told Sky Sports News: "I think you want the clean sweep. Why not be greedy and say: 'I want the drivers' one and the constructors' too'?
"That's the goal going into next year. Lando had eight poles – unbelievable. Oscar had a fantastic season, so I think we have two drivers that can compete for the Championship.
"I'm sure all the men and women here will give them both another race car that's capable of winning races and fighting for the championship.
"I'm sure it will be a challenge at times but we'll just take it one race at a time."
Brewster sends Blades back to Championship summit as Watford deny Selles winning start
Sheffield United returned to the Championship summit after Rhian Brewster secured a 1-0 win over Millwall at The Den.
The former Liverpool striker scored his first goal in over two years, as the Blades leapfrogged Leeds United back to the top of the table.
Japhet Tanganga and George Saville both struck the woodwork for Millwall in what was Neil Harris' final home game in charge, but Brewster broke the deadlock just before the break.
Chris Wilder's side had to remain concentrated during the second half as the hosts pushed for the equaliser, but they held out for a crucial three points.
Elsewhere, Ruben Selles was unfortunate not to begin his tenure with bottom side Hull City in victorious fashion against Watford.
Chris Bedia broke the deadlock for the hosts in the 82nd minute, and it looked like it could be enough to give them their first win since early October.
However, Rocco Vata equalised for the visitors two minutes from time to prevent the Tigers from moving off the foot of the table and out of the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, West Bromwich Albion moved back into the top six as goals from Alex Mowatt and Karlan Grant secured a 2-0 win over Frank Lampard's Coventry City.
Queens Park Rangers and Preston North End both pulled clear of the relegation zone following 2-0 victories over Oxford United and Cardiff City respectively, and the Bluebirds remain in the bottom three due to their inferior goal difference.
Feyenoord 4-2 Sparta Prague: Quick start eases hosts to win
Two early goals laid the foundation for Feyenoord to boost their Champions League hopes with a comfortable 4-2 win over Sparta Prague on Wednesday.
Two goals in 90 seconds from Gernot Trauner and Igor Paixao gave Feyenoord a dream start, with Anis Hadj Moussa and Santiago Gimenez adding the goals that keep them on course for a spot in the knockout stages.
The Dutch hosts needed only eight minutes to get on the scoresheet from a corner with Trauner's downward header wrong-footed Peter Vindahl.
The second came when Feyenoord's pressing stripped Kaan Kairinen of possession and Paixao ran from the halfway line before bending the ball wide of the goalkeeper.
Hadj Moussa scored a stunner 30 minutes in, cutting inside from the right to fire a left-footed shot into the top corner. Feyenoord then failed to clear a long throw that was flicked onto Albion Rrahmani at the back post to make it 3-1 in the 43rd minute.
Gimenez restored the comfortable margin when he took advantage of a defensive slip to bundle the ball over from close range just after the hour mark, while Sparta's second goal came from a cross in the 79th minute which was steered home by a sliding Thomas Beelen into his own net.
Feyenoord moved on to 10 points, while Slavia suffered a fourth defeat in six group games and have a tough task to avoid elimination.
Data Debrief: A happy reunion
The match saw Brian Priske reunited with the team he took to the double in the Czech Republic last season, with his former assistant Lars Friis now in charge at Sparta.
Only Barcelona (five) have scored three or more goals in more different Champions League games this season than Feyenoord (four), who netted three first-half goals and four goals overall for the first time in the competition.
Having led 2-0 after just 10 minutes, it is the quickest two-goal lead Feyenoord have held in a major European game since September 1972.
Meanwhile, Sparta have failed to win any of their last 15 away games in the Champions League (D3 L12), the joint-longest ongoing such winless streak in the competition (level with AEK Athens, whose last game was in 2018).
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