Breaking:Leclerc and Hamilton Lead Ferrari Resurgence as Piastri Crashes in C… read more
Leclerc and Hamilton Lead Ferrari Resurgence as Piastri Crashes in C… read more
Ferrari delivered a strong statement of intent on Friday at the Monaco Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton topping both practice sessions on the tight street circuit. Local hero Leclerc led the way, while Hamilton followed closely behind, helping Ferrari surprise the field with their pace and dominate the opening day of action.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri was among those caught off guard by Ferrari’s speed, finishing second fastest overall but describing his day as “very messy.” The Australian McLaren driver had an incident in Free Practice 2 (FP2), sliding into the barriers at Ste Devote and damaging his front wing. Despite the crash, Piastri remained optimistic, saying, “The pace is there when we get everything together.”
Leclerc, who won last year’s Monaco race to become the first Monegasque driver to win on home soil in the modern F1 era, silenced his own doubts with an impressive performance. He topped both FP1 and FP2, clocking a best time of 1:11.355—just 0.038 seconds faster than Piastri.
Hamilton, now partnered with Leclerc at Ferrari, also impressed with a strong showing. The seven-time world champion was just a tenth of a second behind his teammate and looked comfortable in the car throughout the day. The one-two result for Ferrari was a welcome turnaround after a difficult start to the 2025 season.
Piastri’s McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, finished fourth. Norris, who trails Piastri by 13 points in the title race, noted that while he felt confident early on, traffic and tricky track conditions made it hard to find clean laps. “It’s difficult to get the braking right, to get cornering right, to get tyres, the grip, the feeling, all in the perfect window,” Norris said.
RB rookies Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top six despite each making contact with the barriers during a chaotic final session. Two red flags interrupted FP2, highlighting the challenges posed by Monaco’s narrow and unforgiving layout.
Traffic management proved to be a common concern, with several drivers struggling to put together clean laps. Among the most frustrated was Max Verstappen, who described the driving standards on track as “dangerous.” The Red Bull star, a four-time world champion, voiced his displeasure with the messy and unpredictable nature of the day’s running.
Despite the issues, the timesheets suggest a close battle at the front. Leclerc’s slim margin over Piastri hints at an exciting qualifying session to come. Ferrari’s resurgence, led by Leclerc and Hamilton, has added new intrigue to a championship battle that remains wide open.
As teams prepare for Saturday, the Monaco Grand Prix is already delivering high drama, with Ferrari suddenly looking like the team to beat on the street
s of Monte Carlo.
