Image: from Lucho Yoma X @LucianoYoma
By Open Chronicle with agencies
Charles Leclerc made an ideal start to his home Grand Prix weekend by topping the timesheets in the opening practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix on Friday. The Ferrari driver delivered a commanding performance around the streets of Monte Carlo, leading a Ferrari one-two ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton in a session marked by red flags, incidents, and closely matched pace among the leading teams.
Leclerc posted a best lap of 1:13.978 to finish at the top of the standings, confirming Ferrari’s strong form on the tight and technical Monaco circuit. Hamilton followed in second place, while Max Verstappen completed the top three for Red Bull.
The opening session of Formula One’s sixth round of the season carried significant anticipation. Ferrari arrived confident that the characteristics of the SF-26 would suit Monaco’s low-speed corners, while Mercedes entered the weekend buoyed by rookie sensation Kimi Antonelli’s remarkable run of four consecutive victories and his 43-point lead in the drivers’ championship.
McLaren brought its largest upgrade package of the season to the Principality, while Red Bull and Audi also introduced developments aimed at improving performance on the demanding street circuit.
As expected, the opening minutes highlighted Monaco’s unforgiving nature. Leclerc briefly ran wide at Mirabeau on his first flying lap and was forced to reverse back onto the circuit. Several drivers struggled to find confidence between the barriers, including Arvid Lindblad, who complained about steering issues through the famous Fairmont Hairpin.
The lead changed hands multiple times throughout the first half of the session. Verstappen briefly topped the timing screens before reporting tyre degradation and heavy traffic. Hamilton also enjoyed time at the summit before Ferrari gradually established itself as the team to beat.
Leclerc steadily increased his pace as track conditions improved, eventually lowering the benchmark and opening a comfortable advantage over the field. His commitment was evident when he brushed the barriers with his left-side tyres during one of his fastest laps.
Mercedes mounted a strong challenge later in the session after switching to medium tyres. Antonelli briefly moved to the top with a lap of 1:14.537, demonstrating once again why he currently leads the championship. George Russell also featured prominently among the fastest runners.
Audi enjoyed a particularly encouraging session. Nico Hülkenberg emerged as one of the surprises of the morning, consistently placing inside the top positions and ultimately finishing seventh.
For Gabriel Bortoleto, however, the session began in far more difficult circumstances. The Brazilian reported that his car was nearly impossible to drive due to a gearbox synchronization issue. Limited running left him near the bottom of the standings early on, but Audi elected to keep him on track to gather data.
The decision paid off. As the session progressed and the problem eased, Bortoleto steadily climbed the order. He eventually recorded a lap of 1:15.750, securing an impressive ninth-place finish and placing himself inside the top ten despite the earlier setbacks.
The first red flag was triggered with around twenty minutes remaining when Isack Hadjar lost control of his Racing Bulls car at the Swimming Pool section and crashed heavily into the barriers. The accident caused significant damage to both ends of the car and prompted a lengthy cleanup operation.
Once the session resumed, teams switched focus to qualifying simulations. Hamilton briefly reclaimed first place before Leclerc responded with the fastest lap of the morning.
A second red flag followed shortly afterward when Fernando Alonso clipped the wall exiting the tunnel and damaged his front wing. Debris scattered across the track forced race control to halt the session again. Although practice resumed for the final moments, there was insufficient time for further competitive laps.
When the checkered flag fell, Ferrari occupied the top two positions with Leclerc ahead of Hamilton. Verstappen finished third, Antonelli fourth, and Russell fifth. Norris, Hülkenberg, Piastri, Bortoleto, and Gasly completed the top ten.
Stewards will review several incidents from the session, including Liam Lawson allegedly leaving the pit lane under a red light and a potential impeding incident involving Arvid Lindblad and Oscar Piastri.
With Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren all showing competitive pace, the second practice session is expected to provide a clearer picture of the battle for pole position on Formula One’s most prestigious street circuit.
Monaco Grand Prix FP1 Results
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:13.978
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:14.204
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:14.491
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:14.537
- George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:14.983
- Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:15.291
- Nico Hülkenberg (Audi) – 1:15.343
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:15.565
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) – 1:15.750
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 1:15.828