Image: from This is Formula 1 X @ThisIsFormu1a1
By Open Chronicle with agencies
Ferrari continued its impressive form at the Monaco Grand Prix on Friday as Lewis Hamilton topped the second free practice session, leading teammate Charles Leclerc in a dominant one-two finish for the Italian team on the streets of Monte Carlo.
After Leclerc set the pace in the opening session earlier in the day, Hamilton responded in FP2 with a fastest lap of 1:13.026, narrowly edging the hometown favorite by just over a tenth of a second. The result capped a highly encouraging day for Ferrari, which emerged as the early favorite for Saturday’s all-important qualifying session.
Max Verstappen finished third for Red Bull, while Mercedes drivers George Russell and championship leader Kimi Antonelli completed the top five.
Ferrari Sets the Benchmark
Track conditions differed significantly from those seen during the morning session, with higher temperatures and teams immediately focusing on qualifying simulations. Most drivers began on medium tyres before switching to soft compounds during the first half of the session.
Leclerc quickly returned to the top of the timing screens, posting a 1:14.240 lap before entering a direct battle with Hamilton. Despite reporting a minor issue with his seat, the seven-time world champion continued to push and soon moved ahead with a lap of 1:13.729.
Mercedes once again showed a competitive pace. Antonelli came within 0.016 seconds of Leclerc during one of his runs but struggled throughout the session with an unpredictable car balance, particularly in the second sector. The Italian also ran wide at the tunnel exit while improving on a fast lap.
Verstappen briefly took control of the session with a 1:13.194, benefiting from running on softer tyres while Ferrari was still on mediums. However, Ferrari quickly responded. Hamilton reclaimed first place before Leclerc lowered the benchmark again with a 1:13.137 lap.
Ultimately, Hamilton found even more pace, setting the session’s fastest time and securing Ferrari’s second consecutive practice victory of the day.
Norris Triggers Virtual Safety Car
The session was briefly neutralized by a Virtual Safety Car after Lando Norris suffered a technical issue aboard his McLaren. The British driver stopped at the chicane after the tunnel, with onboard footage suggesting a complete electrical shutdown as his dashboard suddenly went dark.
The interruption lasted only a few minutes before normal running resumed.
Audi Shows Promise Despite Bortoleto Issues
Audi experienced another mixed session. Nico Hülkenberg continued the strong form he displayed in FP1, eventually finishing eighth and maintaining the team’s presence inside the top ten.
Gabriel Bortoleto, however, faced recurring gearbox synchronization problems that had already affected his first practice session. The Brazilian complained repeatedly over team radio and initially struggled near the back of the field.
Despite the technical setbacks and having one lap deleted for exceeding track limits at Turn 10, Bortoleto gradually improved throughout the session. Running first on medium tyres and later on softs, he climbed into the top ten and at one stage reached eighth place.
He ultimately finished ninth with a lap of 1:14.359, less than three tenths behind teammate Hülkenberg, highlighting a strong recovery after a difficult start.
Late Red Flag Ends Running
As teams shifted their attention toward long-run simulations in the closing stages, the competitive order appeared more closely matched than in qualifying trim. Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren all showed encouraging race pace.
The session ended prematurely when Sergio Pérez suffered a brake failure in his Cadillac. Flames erupted from the brakes at Sainte Devote, sending thick smoke into the air and forcing race control to bring out a red flag with four minutes remaining.
The track was cleared in time for a brief restart, but only enough for drivers to complete practice starts before the checkered flag.
Ferrari in Command Ahead of Qualifying
Hamilton’s fastest lap secured Ferrari’s second practice victory of the day and reinforced expectations that the Scuderia will be one of the teams to beat in qualifying.
With overtaking notoriously difficult around Monaco’s narrow streets, Saturday’s qualifying session remains the most important of the season, and Ferrari appears exceptionally well-positioned to challenge for pole position.
Monaco Grand Prix FP2 Results
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:13.026
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:13.137
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:13.194
- George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:13.405
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:13.529
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 1:14.087
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:14.088
- Nico Hülkenberg (Audi) – 1:14.094
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) – 1:14.359
- Oliver Bearman (Haas) – 1:14.456