Monaco Grand Prix team principal Frédéric Vasseur has expressed satisfaction with Ferrari’s opening two free practice sessions in Monaco, where the team consistently remained at the front of the field.
The gap to the rest of the field narrowed after Free Practice 1, meaning Ferrari will need to find additional performance improvements ahead of qualifying. Rival teams had already predicted that the Scuderia would arrive as strong favourites at the Monaco Grand Prix, and so far the SF-26 has largely confirmed those expectations.
The Maranello-based outfit ended the first day of running in Monte Carlo with two one-two finishes across the sessions. Charles Leclerc led the way in the opening session ahead of Lewis Hamilton, while the seven-time world champion went one tenth faster than the Monegasque driver in the afternoon running.
The opposition struggled significantly in the first session but managed to reduce the gap in the second, although Ferrari still remained the benchmark on the tight and technical street circuit.
“In Monaco, the challenge for drivers and teams is always to understand what might happen in the next session in terms of grip evolution,” said Frédéric Vasseur after Free Practice 2.
“You always have to adapt everything a little bit. The second session wasn’t bad, even if it was difficult to put everything together in a single flying lap. We have to keep in mind that traffic plays a fundamental role in Monaco and now there are 10% more cars compared to last season (the Cadillacs), so it is more than 10% more difficult.”
With Straight Line Mode not usable and the MGU-K far less influential than on other circuits in the Formula 1 calendar, tyre management becomes one of the main areas of focus for teams, especially given the heavy traffic expected on track throughout the weekend.
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