Monaco Grand Prix - Free Practice 2: Charles Leclerc on home turf, Piastri and Hamilton in ambush
The Monegasque confirmed his dominance on the streets of his home town in FP2, while the session was marked by two red flags and several notable errors, including those of young Isack Hadjar.
As in the first session, Charles Leclerc was the fastest on the Monaco track. The Ferrari driver finished FP2 ahead of Oscar Piastri, who recovered from an off at Sainte-Dévote, and Lewis Hamilton, a solid third. Lando Norris, in fourth, was ahead of Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, who placed his Racing Bulls in the top 6 despite a hectic session.
Two red flags and several scares
The session was interrupted twice. Isack Hadjar first hit the barrier at the entrance of the port chicane, seriously damaging the rear left of his car. Visibly frustrated, the Frenchman managed to slowly make his way back to his pit. Oscar Piastri, on the other hand, went off at Sainte-Dévote, causing a second red flag. Again, the damage seemed limited to the front wing.
At the end of the session, Max Verstappen went straight on at Mirabeau. Earlier, he was already complaining over the radio about the behavior of his car, without it leading to any on-track intervention.
Bearman summoned, Hadjar still in trouble
After his accident, Hadjar made another mistake in the final minutes. His single-seater car returned sideways to the pit, likely hit again. Meanwhile, Oliver Bearman (Haas) is summoned by the stewards at 6:20 PM for not following procedures under the red flag.
The hierarchy remains unclear, but Leclerc confirms his ease at home. Next step: FP3 on Saturday, followed by crucial qualifying on this circuit where overtaking remains an almost impossible mission.
The Free Practice 2 standings of the Monaco Grand Prix
| N° | Driver | Team | Times | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari | 1:11.355 | 32 | |
| 2 | Piastri | McLaren F1 Team | 1:11.393 | +0.038 | 28 |
| 3 | Hamilton | Scuderia Ferrari | 1:11.460 | +0.105 | 30 |
| 4 | Norris | McLaren F1 Team | 1:11.677 | +0.322 | 32 |
| 5 | Lawson | Visa Cash App RB F1 Team | 1:11.823 | +0.468 | 32 |
| 6 | Hadjar | Visa Cash App RB F1 Team | 1:11.842 | +0.487 | 17 |
| 7 | Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team | 1:12.890 | +1.535 | 30 |
| 8 | Albon | Williams Racing | 1:11.918 | +0.563 | 34 |
| 9 | Antonelli | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:12.02 | +0.665 | 32 |
| 10 | Verstappen | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1:12.068 | +0.713 | 29 |
| 11 | Tsunoda | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 1:12.072 | +0.717 | 30 |
| 12 | Russell | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1:12.092 | +0.737 | 32 |
| 13 | Sainz | Williams Racing | 1:12.151 | +0.796 | 32 |
| 14 | Bortoleto | Stake F1 Team | 1:12.234 | +0.879 | 29 |
| 15 | Bearman | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 1:12.259 | +0.904 | 33 |
| 16 | Hülkenberg | Stake F1 Team | 1:12.262 | +0.907 | 32 |
| 17 | Gasly | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1:12.404 | +1.049 | 34 |
| 18 | Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team | 1:12.512 | +1.157 | 30 |
| 19 | Ocon | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 1:12.541 | +1.186 | 33 |
| 20 | Colapinto | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 1:13.415 | +2.060 | 21 |
