Leclerc Dominates 2025 Monaco Practice

(Image credit: @F1)

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc dominated Friday Practice for 2025 Monaco Grand Prix. 

Leclerc recovered from a FP1 collision with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll to top both sessions in a confident start to his home event, where he is seeking to defend his race win from 2024.

 

FP1

Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar were first on track with the former setting 1m 20.063 as the initial benchmark time, until several drivers displaced him with Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg briefly setting 1m 16.551 as the fastest lap time on medium tyres.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton soon displaced the German with 1m 14.576 after Aston Martin’s Stroll, Fernando Alonso, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on mediums plus McLaren’s Lando Norris – on the soft tyre – briefly displaced Hulkenberg in a frantic opening seven minutes.

Leclerc however crashed into Stroll’s rear at Lowes Hairpin after the Canadian re-joined the racing line – having pulled over to let a faster car pass – only for Leclerc to arrive too late on the scene to avoid contact.

Stroll consequently missed the rest of the session with suspension and gearbox damage as the red flags came out in the tenth minute due to the debris strewn across the circuit.

The session resumed five minutes later and Mercedes’ George Russell went fastest on the soft tyre with 1m 14.655 but Piastri and Norris soon exchanged fastest laps, with Norris winning out with 1m 13.036 on his second flier.

Piastri and Hamilton soon afterwards displaced Norris but the Brit rebounded with 1m 12.290 to sit top at the halfway mark, until Leclerc put on the soft tyre and lowered the benchmark to 1m 11.964 with 24 minutes left on the clock which ultimately wasn’t beaten at the checkered flag.

Position Driver Team Time
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1m 11.964
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull + 0.163
3 Lando Norris McLaren + 0.326
4 Alex Albon Williams + 0.350
5 Oscar Piastri McLaren + 0.378
6 George Russell Mercedes + 0.518
7 Carlos Sainz Williams + 0.570
8 Pierre Gasly Alpine + 0.705
9 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari + 0.726
10 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin + 0.763
11 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes + 0.801
12 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber + 1.015
13 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls + 1.223
14 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull + 1.268
15 Oliver Bearman Haas + 1.365
16 Esteban Ocon Haas + 1.430
17 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls + 1.465
18 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber + 1.506
19 Franco Colapinto Alpine + 1.856
20 Lance Stroll Aston Martin + 3.671

 

FP2

Lawson was the first driver out on track for the second practice session and set 1m 16.879 as the initial benchmark which was quickly lowered by several drivers, with Verstappen sat top on 1m 12.992 on medium tyres when the red flag came out after seven minutes.

Hadjar had been the last driver to attempt a flier and clipped the outside barrier upon entry to Nouvelle chicane which tore off part of his left rear tyre, and left the Frenchman crawling back to the pit lane.

The session resumed eight minutes later and Leclerc quickly set 1m 12.103 to go fastest from Antonelli when the red flags came back out in the 18th minute, after Piastri slid into the outside barrier at St Devote but he quickly continued back to the pit lane minus his front wing.

Once the session recommenced, some opted to conduct a soft-tyre qualifying simulation which saw Alonso and Hamilton briefly trade fastest laps, which the Spaniard won out with 1m 11.890.

Leclerc regained the fastest lap with 1m 11.414 in the 34th minute then found 0.059 seconds to lower his eventual fastest lap to 1m 11.359, ahead of Piastri and Hamilton at the checkered flag.

Position Driver Team Time
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1m 11.355
2 Oscar Piastri McLaren + 0.038
3 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari + 0.105
4 Lando Norris McLaren + 0.322
5 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls + 0.468
6 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls + 0.487
7 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin + 0.535
8 Alex Albon Williams + 0.563
9 Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes + 0.647
10 Max Verstappen Red Bull + 0.713
11 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull + 0.717
12 George Russell Mercedes + 0.737
13 Carlos Sainz Williams + 0.796
14 Gabriel Bortoleto Sauber + 0.879
15 Oliver Bearman Haas + 0.904
16 Nico Hulkenberg Sauber + 0.907
17 Pierre Gasly Alpine + 1.049
18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin + 1.157
19 Esteban Ocon Haas + 1.186
20 Franco Colapinto Alpine + 2.060

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