Monaco Grand Prix Friday: Teams & Driver report from Monte Carlo

Lewis Hamilton led a Ferrari one-two in second practice for the Monaco Grand Prix, setting the fastest lap of the day with Charles Leclerc just 0.111 seconds behind in FP2. The Reds looked comfortable throughout the session, reinforcing expectations that the Scuderia could be a major force in qualifying.

Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull, staying within striking distance of the Ferrari pair despite struggling at times with Monaco's demanding street circuit. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli impressed again in fourth for Mercedes, ahead of team mate George Russell in fifth.

Lando Norris was P6 for McLaren, with teammate Oscar Piastri seventh as the reigning Constructors' Champions continued to search for ultimate pace. Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad delivered another strong performance in eighth, while Fernando Alonso put Aston Martin ninth. Carlos Sainz completed the top ten for Williams.

Less than a second covered the leading group, setting up a fascinating qualifying battle where track position will be critical around the narrow streets of Monte Carlo. This is what teams and drivers had to say on Friday evening local time.

Lewis Hamilton: "It’s been a positive day overall and the car felt quite good right from the first laps. The team did a solid job with the changes we made between the two sessions and we were able to work through our programme without any major issues. Monaco is always a very different challenge, with the bumps and the close proximity of the barriers, so it’s not easy to find the right balance and put everything together. There is still performance to be found and tonight we’ll focus on the details, because the margins are very small here and there’s plenty of work to do ahead of qualifying.

Charles Leclerc: "It was a tricky day, with some work ahead of us, in particular in terms of brake balance, but I love this track and it’s good to be back racing here. It’s going to be very tight in qualifying tomorrow, so I hope that we can take a step forward and fight for pole position."

Max Verstappen: “It was quite a positive day to be honest. We felt quite good in the car and it is particularly important, especially around Monaco, to have a positive feeling in the car. We just need to work to fine tune a few things. Ferrari are looking really strong so we will try to be as close as we can to them tomorrow. We are happy where we are at the moment but we are always trying to extract more from the car, so let’s see what we can do tomorrow for Qualifying.”

Isack Hadjar: “The first session was going okay. I felt like I was gaining confidence with each lap, so the crash caught me off guard. It’s not something you see often around here. The Team did a very good job getting me back out there for FP2, it was impressive, so a big thank you to them. The plan from there was to build my confidence back up, and toward the end I had a much better feeling in the car. I want to carry that into tomorrow.”

Paul Monaghan, Chief Engineer: “We felt pretty encouraged by our performance today. I don’t think we can say that where we ended up in FP2 means that we will finish in P1: we will need to work hard tonight and drivers will, of course need to perform at their best tomorrow. We will work on some improvements on the car that should hopefully make things a little better, but other teams will also be working hard too, so let’s see what happens. Max has been pretty encouraged with the performance of the car and his feedback has been concise. The garage worked really hard to repair Isack’s car from FP1 and it was great teamwork from both sides of the garage. It was pretty satisfying to see the car go out so early into the session. I was also really impressed with Isack in FP2; he gained more and more confidence and he did well to finish P6 in that session. Tonight, we will work to maximise the best possible outcome ahead of tomorrow. It will be tight and I expect a few teams will be pretty fast, so we will do our best to achieve a good result and try to finish on the front row.”

Oscar Piastri: "Today was certainly a tough day for the team. We're not where we want to be, and the gap to the front is larger than we had hoped for. We made some small steps forward between the first and second practice sessions, but we're still a second off the pace, which shows how much work we have to do. We need to go through the data and find some answers overnight because, as it stands, we are simply not quick enough. There's no single solution that will turn things around completely, but we will explore every option available to find performance and be in a more competitive position for the rest of the weekend."

Lando Norris: "Tricky day. We're clearly off the pace and need to find time all across the lap. Frustrating to lose track time today, as that's always important here in Monaco. The car simply turned off, so we need to investigate what happened there. We'll work hard overnight to try and get more performance out of the car, but realistically it's going to be difficult to compete at the front of the field this weekend based on where we are compared to the competition. It’s not necessarily a surprise, but it’s not where we want to be, so we’ll work hard to understand what we’re missing and try to recover where we can for tomorrow."

Rob Marshall, Chief Technical Officer & Chief Designer: "We faced a couple of challenges today. On the performance side, we saw some promising signs in the second and third sectors, but we were struggling for pace in the opening part of the lap. We have a few things to look at, whether it's related to tyre temperature or setup, to unlock more performance. We've brought some circuit-specific updates here, as you always do for Monaco, and we're confident in the fundamental package, but know there is work to do to put us in a more competitive position with the leading three teams this weekend. Lando's session was unfortunately cut short by an electrical fault which caused the car to shut down. The team is working hard to diagnose the root cause so we can ensure it doesn't happen again, and to make sure that the focus is on optimising everything for Qualifying."

George Russell: "We saw good improvements from FP1 to FP2 but if we want to be in the fight for pole and victory, we will have to take a similar step forward overnight. It is certainly shaping up to be the most challenging weekend of our season so far and tougher than we had hoped. Heading into today, we expected Ferrari to be at the front as they've typically been strong here. Its cars historically, particularly on the mechanical side, seem to suit these types of tracks. That is how today played out but it was surprising to see Red Bull so competitive too. We've got work to do to get in the mix; we have some ideas on where we can improve though, and we know there is more lap time to unlock. If we execute perfectly and commit 100%, then hopefully we can get there.

Kimi Antonelli: "It was not the most straightforward Friday of the season. I struggled with the car, particularly in the middle sector and that was limiting our pace. We tried a lot of different set-up options and have gathered a lot of good data. That will help us evaluate what work to do overnight and what changes to make for FP3 and Qualifying. Ferrari look to be in a very strong position. We know they are typically good in Monaco, and they certainly seem to be favourites for tomorrow. We know there is more time for us to find though given we didn't get the car in its perfect sweet spot yet, so hopefully we can take a step forward and be in the mix tomorrow.

Andrew Shovlin: "It's a long time since we had a good weekend in Monaco, so we arrived here with modest expectations. We have worked hard on our preparation to try and land our start set-up in a decent place. We also were doing some cross car compares in FP1 to give ourselves plenty of data to work through. By FP2, we had landed both cars in a reasonable region, but our single lap pace was slightly off the Ferraris and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen. Encouragingly, we have a car that we can work with though and importantly can see some opportunity to make it quicker. We've certainly got to find a bit of pace if we want to be in the fight for the front row tomorrow, but we can take some encouragement from the fact that W17, on first impressions at least, seems a bit better suited to this track than its predecessors."

Pierre Gasly: “It's good to be back in Monaco and it's always a pleasure to drive here. This year, with slightly smaller and lighter cars compared to previous seasons, it's definitely a different feeling and it's certainly still an enjoyable place to drive a Formula One car. We completed lots of laps today and it's always important for a smooth and consistent day in Monaco without too much interruption. A lot of our work in Practice in Monaco is focused on low fuel and Qualifying preparation. We were there or thereabouts inside the top ten for most of the day, so clearly we are in the mix for the points-scoring positions. We probably aren't as competitive here compared to some other tracks and there's definitely a few bits for us to work on as it's not been totally straightforward. We have a lot of work to do going through the data before another Practice session tomorrow as we aim to be as dialled in as possible ahead of the most important Qualifying session of the season.”

Franco Colapinto: “It's been an okay day for us in Monaco, back in Europe and back to the normal Grand Prix schedule with two Friday Practice sessions. It's always a special place to drive, especially as Monaco is where I live now. I would say we have a bit to work on after today and certainly we need to find a step up in performance. It's such a specific and unique place compared to a lot of other circuits, so I think it will be about fine tuning a few things rather than changing anything too big. The car generally feels fine and it's fun to drive still with these cars now a little smaller and lighter. We have less power unit management here with energy recovery and deployment so really it's about finding a more comfortable set-up and focusing on executing solid laps. We normally make a good step between Friday to Saturday so our aim is to be better tomorrow ahead of Qualifying.”

Steve Nielsen: “Today was not the best Friday for us and we certainly aren't satisfied with where we are after two Practice sessions. We didn't get many clear laps, but neither did others and we can see the track is constantly evolving, which is usually the case here on a street track, and giving a lot of lap time and performance. Because of that it's hard to say whether that's a true reflection of our pace and I think there's definitely scope to improve on our current position. Franco is not happy with the balance of the car, so we've got some work to do there to help with traction and braking in particular. Pierre is in a bit of a happier place but still a lot of work to do. We do tend to make a habit of not looking great on Friday and improving across the weekend. I hope it's a case of that again in Monaco and we can come back stronger tomorrow, especially with how important Qualifying and track position is here. The aim is still to get both cars into Q3 and race for lower order points, but we know this race is a bit of an outlier to others and can spring a few surprises. So, we need to work hard to be ready and look to optimise everything.”

Ollie Bearman: “I’m quite happy with the progress we’ve made today in Monaco, as we know how important this weekend is. FP1 was challenging, but in FP2 we made a step forward, and I’m quite happy with the balance that we had. We still have a lot of work to do overnight, but with a bit of finetuning, I think we can move up some places and that’s the target for tomorrow, as we know the most important part of this weekend is qualifying.”

Esteban Ocon: “Today was practice, but we know it’s tomorrow that matters. Today was about figuring out the limitations of the car, and we have some good data now, so it’s up to us to improve the car. Tomorrow morning is when we’ll start getting closer to the wall, pushing harder, and finding out where we are.”

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal: “Monaco is really a driver track, so we needed two clean sessions and to start from a decent baseline. FP1 was actually quite tricky because of the track conditions, tire conditions, and so on – which is nothing new for Monaco, but it was a more difficult session, however operationally it was good. The team reviewed the data based on driver feedback and improved the car for FP2. Ollie decided after FP2 that he was much happier with the car, which is great, but we had a small issue with Esteban’s steering system. That’s causing him problems, but we think we know what the issue is, so we’ll solve it overnight. Tomorrow, we need to focus on getting the tires in the window for qualifying and execute cleanly – then I don’t think it’s too far away. We have things to improve tonight, but overall, it’s been a decent Friday.”

Alex Albon: “Not a bad Friday overall. There's obviously a lot of traffic around this circuit, especially with 22 cars, which makes it tricky to get a lap in clear air. The track is a bit bumpier than last year and I also felt like I was sliding around a lot, so the focus for tomorrow will be on getting the car into a good window. Across both free practice sessions, we were hovering around P11, so I am more optimistic heading into tomorrow. Monaco is obviously all about qualifying and one-lap pace - I think Q1 will be tricky with the traffic, but hopefully we can make the most out of it and put ourselves in a good starting position for the race."

Carlos Sainz: “Overall, it's been quite an intense Friday, with a lot of disruptions throughout the sessions with yellow and red flags and with 22 cars on track the traffic was tricky. Having said that, we managed to put together some solid laps and more or less cover our run plan. Right now, it looks like we’re just outside the top 10, so if we want to fight for Q3 tomorrow we need everything to be perfect and we need to make a good step overnight with car and tyre preparation."

Alan Permane: “It’s been a tough day today here in Monaco, we’ve definitely got some lap time to find, but I’m confident we can do that after working overnight. The drivers are generally happy with the car, but we’re struggling to get tyres in the right operating window, which is giving us a balance mismatch. We also have some issues with the steering, but that’s something we will fix for tomorrow. No huge dramas, but it’s caused us to be on the back foot a little bit. We’ll do the best prep we can do in FP3 tomorrow ahead of Quali and I’m very sure we can find some more speed so we can aim for a Q3 finish."

Arvid Lindblad: "It’s a pretty special moment to drive a Formula 1 car around this track for the first time, and I definitely took a few moments this morning to soak it all in. It’s been a decent day, but also a really intense one. Probably one of the busiest Fridays of my F1 career so far because of the nature of the circuit, there aren’t many straights, so you’re constantly driving and there’s not much time back in the garage. But it’s been a lot of fun. There are still a few things for us to work on overnight across all areas of the car, but we know what we need to do. We’re heading in the right direction, and hopefully we can put everything together for tomorrow.”

Team Report: "Audi Revolut F1 Team completed a productive opening day of running at the Monaco Grand Prix, with Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto both finishing inside the top ten in FP1 and FP2. Across the two sessions, the team focused on setup work and long-run evaluation around the streets of Monte Carlo, setting the foundations for the remainder of the weekend. Despite the unique demands of the Monaco circuit, both drivers reported positive feedback on the car balance as the day progressed, while the team continued to strengthen its operational execution and understanding of the package. Encouraged by today’s running, the focus now shifts to overnight analysis ahead of the crucial qualifying day."

Nico Hulkenberg: "It was quite a decent Friday for us. That said, everyone will be working hard overnight to find improvements, so we need to make sure we analyse everything from today and put the best package on track tomorrow. Qualifying is obviously very important here, but there's still plenty to get right across the weekend. The focus now is on staying calm, doing our homework and making sure we're ready to maximise our opportunities tomorrow."

Gabriel Bortoleto: "It was a decent day overall. Despite a few hiccups at the beginning of FP1, we managed to get the car into the top ten, which is quite encouraging. FP2 felt smooth and clean, and I was able to consistently improve throughout the session. It took a little time to put together a strong lap with the traffic out there, but I'm happy with what we managed in the end. We learned more about our balance and where our limitations are, which gives us a good direction for tomorrow. There's still plenty we can improve, and we'll be working hard tonight to find those extra gains."

Checo Perez: “It was unfortunate we ended the second session as we did on track, but it’s also about finding the limits for the race on Sunday and it’s important that we got as much running as we did. It’s been a strong Friday for us and we were close – a few tenths would have changed our lives completely, so I hope we can find them when they matter. We are close to the cars in front and where we finish tomorrow will depend on how others perform, but anything can happen around here – we just need to be there when it matters and get the maximum out of the car tomorrow.”

Valtteri Bottas: "Challenging day today. I was struggling quite a bit with the car setup, but that's what practice is for. We’ve just got to figure out the true corner balance, we also struggled a little bit with the ride of the car, but now we have the whole overnight. We’ll get the feedback from the simulator, and everyone is going to be working hard tonight to make improvements for tomorrow. Even though it's a tricky day, it's still great to be back on the streets of Monaco."

Graeme Lowdon, Team Principal: “Monaco is always a challenge, but it also provides opportunities. Our first day of running has allowed us to gather as much information as possible on a track that is very different from any we have been to so far. We have focussed on getting ourselves as prepared as possible for the operational challenges of Monaco and, aside from the stoppage on track right at the end of the second session – which we will investigate tonight – we achieved both of these objectives. We have a solid basis to build upon going into that crucial qualifying tomorrow.”

Honda Shintaro Orihara, Trackside General Manager and Chief Engineer: "Here in Monaco, track running time is important to give driver confidence and to gather data in order to optimise the engine performance. Today we built up a lot of mileage and gathered data throughout. We also tested our engine mapping in several different scenarios, preparing for tomorrow and the race. This included consecutive push laps, long runs and one lap runs. A focus tonight and heading into tomorrow will be improving driveability. The drivers are still lacking confidence in the corners so we will work on this ready for qualifying.”