Monaco Grand Prix: Leclerc Dominates Friday Practice
Charles Leclerc secured a strong position heading into the Monaco Grand Prix, topping the timesheets in both practice sessions on Friday. The Ferrari driver clocked in at 1:11.355, edging out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just 0.038 seconds. Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top three, demonstrating the competitive pace of the Ferrari team.
The second practice session began with early pace setters Piastri and Lando Norris, who initially led before Max Verstappen took charge. However, the session was interrupted less than ten minutes in when rookie Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls collided with the barriers at Nouvelle Chicane. Hadjar sustained a punctured left-rear tire but managed to return to the pits.
Following the restart, Piastri positioned himself at the front until he caused another red flag incident by crashing into the tire wall at Turn 1, albeit without significant damage. On resumption, Leclerc, alongside Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Hamilton, exchanged fastest times on hard Pirelli tires before switching to softer compounds for qualifying simulations.
Leclerc’s pace proved unassailable, as he initially posted the session’s three fastest laps before finalizing his top time. Piastri’s close pursuit highlighted McLaren’s competitiveness, with Hamilton taking third, a full tenth behind Leclerc.
Norris finished fourth, while Hadjar and teammate Liam Lawson surprised by placing fifth and sixth, respectively. Alonso’s seventh-place finish marked a solid outing for Aston Martin. Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda found themselves in the lower half of the top ten, with Verstappen expressing frustration over slow traffic in the swimming pool section.
Notably, Haas driver Oliver Bearman faced inquiries from FIA race stewards for not complying with the regulations during the red flag periods.
The weekend continues with third practice set for Saturday at 12:30 local time, followed by the critical qualifying session at 16:00.
