FP2: Leclerc sets the pace in busy FP2 at Monaco

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Charles Leclerc led the way in the second practice session at his home event, the Monaco Grand Prix, clocking the fastest lap with a time of 1m 11.278s. The Ferrari driver outpaced Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso in a session marked by traffic and minor incidents.

Check out the results of the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, including the race results, qualifying times, and practice sessions

Following a red-flagged FP1 due to Zhou Guanyu's crash, FP2 started with Hamilton leading the pack. Early concerns arose for Mercedes with George Russell experiencing steering vibrations, while Max Verstappen complained of severe car bouncing.

Leclerc established dominance early on, switching to soft tyres to set his unbeatable benchmark. Despite heavy traffic and close calls with the walls for several drivers including Yuki Tsunoda and Oscar Piastri, Leclerc's top time stood firm.

Hamilton secured P2, just two-tenths behind Leclerc, proving the upgrades on his Mercedes. Fernando Alonso claimed P3 for Aston Martin, while Verstappen, who had a moment with Tsunoda, finished P4.

Lando Norris led McLaren in P5, narrowly ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in P6. Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez took P7 and P8 respectively, with Alex Albon and Russell completing the top 10.

Tsunoda placed P11, followed by Piastri in P12, who skipped soft-tyre runs. Haas’s Kevin Magnussen and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, who nudged the barriers, ended P13 and P14. Nico Hulkenberg took P15, with Daniel Ricciardo in P16.

Pierre Gasly, recovering from limited FP1 running, managed only P17 ahead of Logan Sargeant in P18. The Kick Sauber drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, finished P19 and P20, not using soft tyres.

As Friday’s sessions conclude, teams will analyze their data before returning for final practice and qualifying on Saturday.

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