Leclerc Tops Monaco Practice as Ferrari Leads, McLaren Challenges, and Red Bull Struggles

Charles Leclerc led both Friday practice sessions at the Monaco Grand Prix, offering a promising start for Ferrari. He narrowly edged out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just 0.038 seconds, with teammate Lewis Hamilton—driving the second Ferrari—posting the third-fastest time. Despite this strong showing, Leclerc remained cautious about Ferrari’s competitiveness over the weekend. Recalling his prior remarks that a home win repeat was unlikely, he noted that although the initial results were positive, it was too soon to be confident about their prospects.

Crashes, Penalties, and Recovery Efforts Shake Up Monaco Grand Prix Practice Sessions

The day was not without incident. Leclerc collided with Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin early in the session, damaging his front wing, while Stroll’s car suffered more extensive damage, forcing his retirement from the session. Stroll was penalized for the clash with a one-place grid drop. Meanwhile, British Haas driver Oliver Bearman received a 10-place grid penalty and two penalty points after overtaking Carlos Sainz under a red flag, which had been caused by Piastri’s earlier crash. These penalties could significantly alter the race-day grid dynamics.

Oscar Piastri ended the day second-fastest despite a crash at Sainte Devote that broke his front wing. He admitted the day had been “up and down” and acknowledged that although McLaren had pace, the sessions had been untidy on his part. Still, he expressed optimism about turning things around in the coming sessions. Teammate Lando Norris also showed solid performance with a fourth-place finish. Despite minor setbacks, McLaren appears to be in the mix for strong qualifying and race results.

Hamilton Shines, Verstappen Struggles as Monaco Proves Challenging for Red Bull Team

Lewis Hamilton described the Monaco circuit as “the coolest track ever to drive” and relished the day’s sessions. He expressed gratitude for still being able to race at such iconic venues. Hamilton’s car performance improved in the second session, allowing him to close the gap to Leclerc and finish third fastest. He noted that a bit more refinement could improve his time further, but overall, it was a smooth and enjoyable day. His outlook was optimistic heading into qualifying.

Defending world champion Max Verstappen faced challenges in the second session after experimenting with his car’s balance. He found the adjustments had gone too far, limiting his ability to push the car and resulting in a disappointing P2 performance, over seven-tenths off the pace.

Although confident that Red Bull could recover some pace, Verstappen admitted that Ferrari looked especially strong in Monaco, with McLaren also close behind. His early form indicates a more challenging weekend ahead for Red Bull than expected.