FP2: Leclerc dominates second practice session in Monaco; home hero shines
Charles Leclerc thrilled his home crowd at the Monaco Grand Prix by topping the timesheets during the second practice session on Friday. The Ferrari driver clocked a blistering lap of 1m 11.278s, positioning himself well for a strong weekend at his cherished home event.
The day began with an interrupted FP1 due to Zhou Guanyu's mishap with the barriers, causing red flags to be deployed for debris clearance. As the track re-opened for FP2, drivers eagerly took to the asphalt, led by Lewis Hamilton.
Early concerns marked Mercedes’ day, with George Russell reporting steering vibrations. Max Verstappen wasn’t spared from issues either, experiencing headaches from his Red Bull "jumping like a kangaroo."
Leclerc immediately asserted his dominance with a 1m 11.573s lap on medium tires before improving even further on the softer compound. Aggressive driving was the theme of the session, with Yuki Tsunoda, Oscar Piastri, and Verstappen narrowly escaping collisions with the barriers.
Hamilton performed admirably, putting himself within two-tenths of Leclerc’s best time, whilst Fernando Alonso secured third place for Aston Martin. Verstappen, despite a brief on-track skirmish with Tsunoda, settled for fourth.
Lando Norris emerged as the quickest McLaren in P5, narrowly ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll, Red Bull's Sergio Perez—still grappling with ride issues—rounded up the top 8. Alex Albon and George Russell closed out the top 10 for Williams and Mercedes, respectively.
Tsunoda managed P11, followed by an unsoft-tyred Piastri in 12th. Kevin Magnussen took P13 for Haas, while Esteban Ocon’s brush with the barriers placed him 14th. Nico Hulkenberg and former Monaco winner Daniel Ricciardo claimed P15 and P16, respectively.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloPierre Gasly, still recovering from a wastegate issue in FP1, ended in a disappointing P17 for Alpine. Logan Sargeant and the Kick Sauber duo of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu rounded out the classification, with neither Sauber driver using the soft compound.
As the action concluded for Friday, teams and drivers will now dive into data analysis in preparation for Saturday’s decisive third practice session. The battle for Monaco glory is far from over, with plenty of storylines yet to unfold.
It's clear that Leclerc and Ferrari have laid down a formidable marker, but in Monaco, unpredictability is the norm—expect the unexpected.
