F1 Monaco GP: Leclerc tops disrupted FP2 after two red flags

Leclerc Dominates Monaco GP Practice, Piastri Shines

Charles Leclerc delivered a strong performance in the second practice session of the Monaco Grand Prix, topping the timesheets and securing a clean sweep for Ferrari on Friday. Leclerc’s best lap of 1:11.355 narrowly edged out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who finished just 0.038 seconds behind, marking him as the closest competitor.

The session began with Piastri and teammate Lando Norris establishing early pace before Max Verstappen took over momentarily. However, the session was briefly halted after rookie Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls crashed into the barriers at the Nouvelle Chicane, puncturing his left rear tire but managing to return to the pits.

Piastri’s strong showing continued until he made a mistake, crashing into the tire wall at Turn 1, though he escaped with minor damage. Following the incident, Leclerc and Piastri battled for pole position on hard compound tires before shifting to soft compounds for qualifying simulations.

Leclerc dominated the session, recording the three fastest laps at various intervals, ultimately improving his best time from 1:11.414 to 1:11.355. Hamilton rounded out the top three, finishing a tenth behind Leclerc, while Norris claimed fourth, three-tenths off the pace. Racing Bulls duo Liam Lawson and Hadjar, who initially struggled, rebounded to finish fifth and sixth, respectively, despite Hadjar’s second brush with the wall.

Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin showed competitive pace, securing seventh position, while rookies Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Verstappen rounded out the top ten. Verstappen expressed frustration at the slow traffic in the swimming pool area, calling it “so dangerous,” emphasizing the need for better management during practice sessions.

Haas driver Oliver Bearman was called by FIA stewards for failing to adhere to regulations following the second red flag incident.

The action in Monaco continues Saturday with third practice scheduled for 12:30 local time, leading into the crucial qualifying session at 16:00 local time.