Charles Leclerc completed quickest and Lewis Hamilton was third as Ferrari set an attention-grabbing tempo in Follow Two to cap a powerful Friday on the Monaco Grand Prix.
Regardless of Leclerc having harassed on Thursday that Ferrari’s 2025 automobile was unlikely to be as suited to the low-speed twists and turns of Monaco as final 12 months’s, when he claimed pole and received his dwelling race, the Monegasque nonetheless topped each of Friday’s follow periods.
Leclerc set a greatest lap of 1:11.355 in a second session which featured two purple flags for crashes to narrowly end forward of McLaren’s championship-leading Oscar Piastri and Ferrari team-mate Hamilton on the head of the timesheet.
“Ferrari are the large story,” stated Sky Sports activities F1’s Karun Chandhok.
“It is a very spectacular day contemplating the expectations coming in.”
A late quick lap noticed Piastri cut up the Ferraris, the Australian recovering nicely after a uncommon mistake noticed him run straight into the limitations at Ste Commit, the long-lasting monitor’s opening nook.
The affect broke the entrance wing on Piastri’s automobile however he was capable of make it again to the pit lane and, following repairs, steadily moved his approach again up the timesheet to ultimately end simply 0.038s behind Leclerc.
Hamilton, a three-time winner in Monaco, was 0.105s behind Ferrari team-mate Leclerc in third to supply hope of his best weekend but on the Scuderia.
Lando Norris was fourth within the second McLaren, forward of the Racing Bulls of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar who each completed within the prime six. Hadjar was sixth regardless of twice hitting Monaco’s omnipresent limitations, first on the harbourside chicane after which Ste Commit.
However the senior Crimson Bull staff skilled one other tough Friday, ending down the timesheet.
World champion and Imola victor Max Verstappen was solely tenth, only one place and one tenth forward of team-mate Yuki Tsunoda. The Dutchman was one among many drivers to be pissed off by visitors round Monaco’s tight confines after a number of near-misses with slower-running vehicles, and had a late off-track second himself into the Ste Commit run-off.
“Monaco is all the time fairly difficult with visitors however two instances in the present day it was fairly harmful – in FP1 then one time in FP2 – which isn’t supreme,” stated Verstappen.
“I do know it is follow however it might have been fairly an enormous crash in case you do not again out of it shortly or learn the scenario however fortunately all the pieces went nicely.”
Mercedes additionally appeared to battle, ending ninth and twelfth with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, respectively.
Fernando Alonso was seventh for Aston Martin, with Alex Albon eighth within the lead Williams.
Are Ferrari the true deal in Monaco once more?
Though Leclerc could have been eager to minimize his probabilities of back-to-back dwelling wins dwelling wins in a season the place Ferrari have flattered to deceive, the Friday timesheets definitely appeared to emphatically belie fairly that stage of pessimism – even when questions stay about whether or not they may stay the outright quickest automobile come qualifying.
Sky Sports activities F1’s Jenson Button stated: “Trying on the velocity traces and the sectors the place they’re fast, I feel they is perhaps working somewhat extra energy in the present day in comparison with others.
“However nonetheless, the automobile seems to be good out on monitor and they can get their entrance tyre working, which is the important thing factor.”
Verstappen additionally advised: “Ferrari once more look very quick.
“McLaren had been shut behind however over the entire season, the tempo, Ferrari have taken an enormous step ahead right here.”
Sky Sports activities F1’s Monaco GP schedule
Saturday Could 24
9.40am: F3 Dash
11.15am: Monaco GP Follow Three (session begins at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Dash
2.10pm: Monaco GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: MONACO GP QUALIFYING
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book
Sunday Could 25
6.55am: F3 Function Race
8.35am: F2 Function Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Monaco GP build-up*
2pm: The MONACO GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Monaco GP response
5pm: Ted’s Pocket book
5.30pm: The Indy 500
*additionally stay on Sky Sports activities Predominant Occasion
Subsequent up in F1’s European triple-header is the ‘Jewel within the Crown’, the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend, with protection beginning on Friday stay on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
