FP3 report: Charles Leclerc quickest in Monte Carlo, Ferrari SF-24 shows solid pace | 2024 Monaco GP. Report from FP3 and how Ferrari performed in Monaco.

After a commanding performance in a red-flagged third practice session, Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc emerges as the favorite to clinch pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix in front if his home fans

Continuing his impressive form from topping the second free practice session on Friday, Charles Leclerc immediately set a blistering pace with a 1:12.521 effort on the soft tires. Throughout the session, he steadily improved his time, eventually clocking a 1.11.369 to firmly establish himself as the leading contender for pole position at his home race.

His closest competitors, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, trailed behind in second and third respectively. However, the Monegasque driver maintained a comfortable two-tenths advantage over Verstappen’s Red Bull and nearly three-and-a-half tenths over Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes.

The session in Monte Carlo encountered a brief red flag in its early stages when Valtteri Bottas clipped the barrier at the exit of the Swimming Pool, halting at Rascasse.

Resuming after a short delay, Leclerc remained determined, continuously refining his lap times. Starting with a 1:12.521, he progressively improved to 1:12.242, 1:12.092, 1:11.977, and finally, a formidable 1:11.369, securing the top spot in the session with a commanding lead of nearly 0.7 seconds over teammate Carlos Sainz at the time of setting the fastest lap.

Max Verstappen, who struggled on Friday, demonstrated improved performance but faced challenges with traffic, forcing him to abandon several laps. He now faces a stewards’ investigation for driving unnecessarily slowly.

Hamilton, buoyed by Mercedes’ promising performance, encountered a setback after a significant lock-up at Sainte Devote, necessitating a change of tires. Nonetheless, a late surge propelled him to third place, ahead of Oscar Piastri, Sergio Perez, George Russell, Carlos Sainz, and Lando Norris.

Yuki Tsunoda emerged as the best of the rest, with Fernando Alonso rounding out the top 10 for Aston Martin.

In the midfield, Pierre Gasly claimed 11th for Alpine, while Alex Albon delivered a strong performance to secure 12th for the struggling Williams team, which grappled with tire wear issues on Friday.

The Haas duo of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen finished 13th and 14th respectively, followed by Lance Stroll and Esteban Ocon, who experienced a significant lock-up at Turn 1.

In a surprise twist, Logan Sargeant outpaced 2018 Monaco winner Daniel Ricciardo to claim 17th place, while the Stake drivers once again occupied the final two positions, with Zhou Guanyu ahead of Bottas, who failed to set a lap time.