After a fast-paced first session, Leclerc led Monaco FP2 with a time faster than 2023’s pole, showcasing impressive speed.
After a first session marked by already rapid lap times, the second free practice session of the Monaco Grand Prix took place in the Principality this Friday afternoon.
Race director Niels Wittich has modified the rules for the pit lane queue placement. Now, drivers must have a wheel beyond the yellow line that separates the fast lane spots to claim a defined position in the queue.
“After the start or resumption of a free practice session, a qualifying session, or a sprint qualifying session, if there is sufficient space in the queue of cars on the fast lane such that a driver can merge into the fast lane safely and without unnecessarily hindering the cars already on the fast lane, he is free to do so,” Wittich stated.
Kevin Magnussen set the first benchmark with a time of 1:14.636, beaten by Lewis Hamilton with a 1:14.080. Nico Hülkenberg placed third ahead of Logan Sargeant, with all four drivers on medium tires, while Oscar Piastri was behind on hard tires.
Max Verstappen did better on hard tires, clocking a 1:13.775, and Fernando Alonso positioned himself just ahead of Piastri. Sergio Pérez clipped the barrier at Casino, while Lando Norris was hindered, and Piastri had a significant slide during his fast lap.
Lance Stroll moved up to fourth place, also on medium tires, and Charles Leclerc set his first time on mediums, taking the lead with a 1:13.404. Hamilton improved with a 1:13.309.
Logan Sargeant also hit the wall, while Verstappen regained the lead, still on hard tires, with a 1:13.265, just 0.044 seconds ahead of Hamilton on mediums. Magnussen climbed back to fifth position.
George Russell Third and Norris Fourth, Both Within a Tenth of Verstappen
George Russell placed third and Norris fourth, both drivers closing to within a tenth of Verstappen. Leclerc improved again, reclaiming the session lead with a 1:12.372, eight-tenths quicker than Verstappen! Russell had a better first sector but missed his braking at the chicane.
Multiple Brushes with the Barrier
Yuki Tsunoda also touched the barrier at the Swimming Pool section, while Sargeant did so at Antony Noghès. Norris came very close to the barrier but avoided it. Hamilton moved up to second place as Sainz launched into a fast lap.
Leclerc further improved to a 1:12.125, and Stroll climbed back into the top 10, placing ninth just behind Tsunoda. In the top 10, only Verstappen and Tsunoda were on hard tires. Sainz, on medium tires, improved but was still 0.874 seconds off his teammate Leclerc.
Pierre Gasly took the eighth fastest time, and Piastri set the second-fastest time on hard tires, also eight-tenths behind Leclerc. Verstappen reported significant bouncing: “I’m bouncing like a kangaroo, I have a headache, it’s crazy.”
Hamilton set the second-fastest time but remained a good distance from Leclerc (+0.405). Leclerc then pushed further, clocking a 1:11.573. Verstappen posted the third-fastest time, 1.1 seconds behind, and Sainz positioned himself 0.015 seconds off the Dutchman.
Alex Albon switched to soft tires and immediately took second place. Pérez also switched to the softest tires but only managed to slightly better Albon’s time, placing seven-tenths behind Leclerc in second position.
2023 Pole Time Beaten
Verstappen also switched to the softest tires but fell two-tenths short of Leclerc’s time despite an expected significant delta between the softs and mediums. Leclerc, however, improved further to 1:11.278, half a second ahead of Verstappen and a full second ahead of Pérez. This time is also faster than the 2023 pole.
Albon Edges Ahead of Pérez by 0.009 Seconds; Alonso Intervenes in Third on Soft Tires
Albon overtook Pérez by a mere 0.009 seconds. Alonso inserted himself into third place on soft tires. Pérez complained about handling and stability: “I can’t see the apex in turn 3.”
Piastri brushed the wall without major damage. Norris set his first fast lap on soft tires, placing third just behind Verstappen. Alonso recorded the second-fastest time, and Pérez improved but ended up fifth, eight-tenths behind.
Verstappen had a much better first sector but couldn’t finish his lap after an error at the chicane. “I hit that damn wall,” the Dutchman fumed over the radio after a contact at Portier. Sainz improved but was still 0.973 seconds behind his teammate.
Leclerc made a slight error at the Fairmont hairpin, lightly tapping the barrier without major consequences. He then set the fastest first sector but was hindered by Stroll in the second sector. Alonso was also obstructed by Sainz: “Carlos wants a 3-minute gap in Monaco,” the veteran quipped.
Sainz improved his best time, but his fifth place, just ahead of Stroll, was still 0.684 seconds behind his teammate. Hamilton finished with an excellent lap time, securing second place, 0.188 seconds off Leclerc. Norris aborted his attempt after going straight at the chicane du Port.
A Calmer End to the Session
The drivers transitioned to long runs later than in typical FP2 sessions on other circuits, as the race is less crucial to prepare for than qualifying. Stroll touched the barrier at the Swimming Pool. Tsunoda hindered Verstappen, an incident noted by the stewards. Gasly hit the barrier quite hard.
Leclerc made some errors towards the end of the session but without major impact. Russell complained about his steering wheel’s feedback, describing a strange behavior of his car in a straight line. Albon lamented a Williams that “ate the tires” in turns 3 and 4: “It’s like 2023 all over again.”
Leclerc Tops the Session Ahead of Hamilton and Alonso
Leclerc finished the session at the top, ahead of Hamilton and Alonso, the only drivers within half a second of the leader. Verstappen placed fourth ahead of Norris, resulting in five different teams in the top 5. Sainz came sixth, followed by Stroll and Pérez, with Albon and Russell rounding out the top 10.
Tsunoda and Piastri followed, though they did not use the soft tires. Magnussen, Ocon, Hülkenberg, and Ricciardo were next in the standings, with Ricciardo also not running on soft tires. Gasly and Sargeant were ahead of the Alfa Romeos of Bottas and Zhou, who also saved their soft tires.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:11.278 | 37 |
| 02 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W15 | 1:11.466 | 32 |
| 03 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:11.753 | 37 |
| 04 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:11.813 | 37 |
| 05 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:11.953 | 35 |
| 06 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:11.962 | 36 |
| 07 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:12.062 | 22 |
| 08 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:12.099 | 31 |
| 09 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:12.257 | 38 |
| 10 | George Russell | Mercedes W15 | 1:12.260 | 30 |
| 11 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:12.349 | 36 |
| 12 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:12.366 | 35 |
| 13 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:12.476 | 31 |
| 14 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:12.554 | 34 |
| 15 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:12.569 | 34 |
| 16 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:12.577 | 37 |
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:12.750 | 35 |
| 18 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:12.790 | 36 |
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:13.057 | 31 |
| 20 | Guanyu Zhou | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:13.773 | 32 |
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