The pre-weekend expectations have been confirmed. Regardless of what happens later in the weekend, Ferrari ended Friday in Monte Carlo as the clear favourites. In both free practice sessions held in the Principality, the two SF-26 cars occupied the top two positions, swapping places between sessions: Charles Leclerc led FP1, while Lewis Hamilton topped FP2.
Ferrari has once again confirmed its reputation as the best performer in slow-speed corners. Through sections like Portier and Mirabeau, Hamilton and Leclerc were able to rely on outstanding mechanical grip, a key factor on the streets of Monaco. If there is one major takeaway for the Scuderia from the opening day, it is the level of competitiveness shown by Hamilton from the very first laps.
The first real warning sign came on his third lap of FP1, when on an still “green” track Lewis Hamilton was already more than 1.5 seconds quicker than the rest of the field. That benchmark was then confirmed lap after lap, culminating in the fastest time of the day. It is not a points-paying classification, but in terms of confidence it can make a huge difference.
Charles Leclerc needs no introduction when it comes to single-lap performance, and on his home track he has often found an extra gear. Seeing him behind Hamilton was somewhat surprising, but the Monegasque remains the main favourite for pole position in what is expected to be an extremely tight qualifying session. Hamilton deserves credit for putting together the perfect lap at the right moment, while Leclerc—caught in traffic and with a few small mistakes—left roughly two and a half tenths on the table, the difference between his best lap and his ideal lap. Charles will likely have to deal with more pressure than his teammate, but the feeling is that pole position is still very much in his hands.
Behind Ferrari, there were also some surprises. Heading into the weekend, McLaren looked like Ferrari’s main challenger, but Friday told a very different story. It was a difficult day for the Woking-based team: Oscar Piastri finished only seventh, more than a second behind Hamilton, while Lando Norris came to a halt at the harbour chicane after suddenly losing electrical power.
“It was a difficult day for us,” said Piastri. “We have a lot of work to do overnight.”
McLaren struggled in particular during tyre warm-up phases, as shown by their difficulties in the opening sector of the Monaco circuit. “We were a bit more competitive in the second and third sectors,” explained performance director Rob Marshall, but Piastri’s body language at the end of the day reflected little optimism.
The situation was further complicated by the issue that stopped Norris after just eight laps. The team did not provide full details, only confirming that it was an electrical problem, but there is growing suspicion in the paddock that the Mercedes power unit may once again be at the root of the failure.
At Mercedes, meanwhile, the day unfolded largely as expected, with expectations already modest coming into the weekend. Red Bull, however, exceeded expectations. Max Verstappen arrived in Monaco with limited hopes, but what he showed on track suggests that Ferrari’s primary rival may well be him. The final gap—less than two tenths—is the only real threat to the Scuderia’s ambitions.
“In Monaco there is a path that starts on Friday and develops through qualifying and the race,” said Frédéric Vasseur. “Everything is different here compared to other circuits, because the main challenge is anticipating the evolution of the track and grip levels. You always have to be one session ahead of your rivals. That is the real challenge for the team and the drivers.”
With Verstappen, however, nothing can be taken for granted. His race pace throughout the day marked him out as an outsider ready to strike at any opportunity. And in Monte Carlo, Max has repeatedly shown he knows better than anyone how to seize the moment.
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