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Lewis Hamilton in Scary FP1 Crash as Leclerc Tops Charts at Monaco Grand Prix
The opening practice session of the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix began with high drama as both Ferrari drivers found themselves in the spotlight — but for very different reasons. Lewis Hamilton suffered a heart-stopping crash in Free Practice 1 (FP1), while his team-mate Charles Leclerc recovered from a separate incident to finish the session fastest.
Hamilton’s scare came at the infamous Swimming Pool section of the Monte Carlo circuit. Pushing hard on a hot lap, the seven-time world champion found himself battling severe traffic on the tight and twisty street circuit. As he exited the chicane, Hamilton’s car clipped the kerb aggressively, launching briefly into the air. Over the team radio, a clearly frustrated Hamilton exclaimed, “Ah **** mate, so much traffic. I have to box mate, I’ve just gone completely over the kerb mate.” Though he managed to avoid a complete loss of control, the moment was a stark reminder of how punishing Monaco’s narrow track can be.
Elsewhere on the circuit, Leclerc also encountered trouble. Attempting an ambitious overtake on Lance Stroll at the tight hairpin, the Monegasque driver collided with the Aston Martin. As Leclerc moved to the inside to pass, Stroll shifted toward the racing line, resulting in contact that tore off the left half of Leclerc’s front wing. The incident brought out the red flag, as debris from the crash had to be cleared off the track. Leclerc limped back to the pits for repairs, while Stroll’s car sustained heavier damage.
Aston Martin confirmed that Stroll would not return to the track for the rest of FP1, citing a necessary change of both the gearbox and rear suspension. The Canadian driver’s absence was noted, as his performance in Monaco has been strong in previous years.
Despite his earlier crash, Leclerc returned to the track with a new front wing and quickly set the pace. The hometown hero thrilled local fans by finishing the session at the top of the leaderboard, showing strong pace ahead of what is always a critical qualifying session in Monaco.
The FP1 results showed a mix of expected names and surprising standouts. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was second fastest, followed closely by McLaren’s Lando Norris. Alex Albon impressed once again in his Williams by taking fourth, while Oscar Piastri made it two McLarens in the top five. Mercedes’ George Russell and Williams’ Carlos Sainz came next, followed by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Despite his earlier crash, Hamilton managed to place ninth, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso rounding out the top ten.
Young talents like Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) and Ollie Bearman (Haas) continued their learning curve, while rookies including Isack Hadjar, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Franco Colapinto used the session to gather valuable data. The full FP1 classification wrapped up with Lance Stroll in 20th, having recorded no competitive time due to the earlier collision.
With high tension and close competition already brewing, FP2 promises more action as teams fine-tune their setups for Saturday’s all-important qualifying.
