Ferrari Leads Monaco GP Practice With Leclerc and Hamilton 1-2
4 verified3 unconfirmed
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton set the fastest times in the first practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix, confirming pre-weekend expectations that the team would be strong around the circuit’s tight, high-downforce layout. Leclerc, a local driver who recently extended his contract with Ferrari, posted a lap of 1:13.978 on medium tires, leading Hamilton by 0.226 seconds. Max Verstappen finished third for Red Bull, more than half a second off the pace, while the Mercedes pair of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell rounded out the top five. Championship leader Antonelli was the quicker Mercedes driver, finishing fourth ahead of Russell in fifth. The session featured brief red-flag stoppages after two drivers crashed into the barriers, but both were able to walk away. Teams will return for a second practice session later on Friday ahead of qualifying on Saturday.
What’s verified
Charles Leclerc was fastest in Practice One with a lap time of 1:13.978, followed by Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton 0.226 seconds behind.
Max Verstappen finished third for Red Bull, more than half a second off the leading time.
Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell completed the top five in fourth and fifth positions respectively.
Mercedes has won every grand prix pole and race this season, but Ferrari is considered the favorite for Monaco due to the circuit’s high-downforce characteristics.
Not yet confirmed
The Sky Sports report notes that two drivers — Isack Hadjar and Fernando Alonso — crashed during the session, causing red flags. This detail is not mentioned in the SB Nation report.
The SB Nation report states that Kimi Antonelli set his lap time on the C3 hard tire, while Leclerc and Hamilton used C4 medium tires. Sky Sports does not specify tire compounds.
Whether Lando Norris nearly crashed before correcting a slide is only reported by Sky Sports.
Key figures
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari driver, Monaco native)
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari driver)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull driver)
Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes driver, championship leader)
George Russell (Mercedes driver)
Lando Norris (McLaren driver)
Isack Hadjar (Red Bull driver)
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin driver)
Sources: Sky Sports, sbnation.com
