Charles Leclerc leads Lewis Hamilton as Ferrari dominate Monaco practice
Charles Leclerc set the fastest time ahead of Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton in opening practice for the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Monegasque driver delighted his home crowd by clocking a benchmark lap of one minute 13.978 seconds around the famous street circuit.
That time proved enough to eclipse the seven-time world champion by 0.226 seconds and underline the Italian team’s status as pre-race favourites.
The strong start caps a positive week for the local hero, who recently committed his long-term future to the Scuderia with a contract extension.
Mercedes adrift as Verstappen splits rivals
Championship leaders Mercedes, who have claimed every pole position and race victory so far this season, struggled to match the early pace.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished third to separate the flying Ferraris from the chasing pack.
Kimi Antonelli and George Russell could only manage fourth and fifth respectively, leaving the Silver Arrows half a second off the benchmark.
McLaren’s Lando Norris, who triumphed in the principality last year, finished over a second adrift in sixth position.
Red flags disrupt opening session
The notoriously unforgiving barrier-lined track claimed two early victims during a disjointed opening hour of running.
Isack Hadjar triggered the first red flag when he lost control of his Red Bull at the high-speed Swimming Pool section.
Two-time Monaco winner Fernando Alonso then caused a late stoppage after hitting the barriers while braking for the chicane.
The veteran Spaniard sustained front wing damage to his Aston Martin but managed to safely limp back to the pit lane.
Several other drivers, including pacesetter Leclerc, were forced to use the escape roads as they tested the limits of their 2026 machinery.
