Christian Horner has said that qualifying will be crucial for this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.
The Monte Carlo circuit is notoriously difficult to overtake on, with the winner starting the race from pole position during the last four years.
The Red Bull team principal told Sky Sports News: "The one thing you cannot do at this track is overtake unless there is a significant difference in pace between the cars so qualifying is going to be crucial. With the grid being that much closer, it is going to be very, very tight this year.
"It is a case of finding that trade-off between single lap pace and not ruining the tyres in the race because if you push for that single lap performance you do suffer, you cannot have your cake and eat it. It is finding that trade, but that trade might be slightly different here as the premium is on qualifying.
"The last three years were not easy, theoretically both Mercedes' should have been on the front row last year if they had not had a penalty and the other got his lap together. So it is going to be tough, those guys look very quick again this year."
Mercedes' Nico Rosberg set the fastest times in both of Thursday's practice sessions.
