Leclerc was the fastest in FP1 and FP2, finishing the day with 0.044 s ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz and the Red Bulls of Sergio Pérez and Max Verstappen.
Results of the FP1 Monaco Grand Prix: Pérez’s fastest Leclerc
What happened to Monaco Grand Prix free practice 1?
Leclerc set the starting pace in 1m17.993 with average tires, soon overtaken by Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren), Verstappen as the track approached. Leclerc restored the bar to 15,883 s as times continued to fall, as Sainz surpassed it by 0.001 s.
Leclerc and Verstappen, using hard tires, switched the best time between them before Leclerc went straight to Sainte Devote. Verstappen reached 1m15.327s at this point.
The home side worked hard to get through the middle and as a result, had a good chance of getting one back as Mick Schumacher tried lifting the ball over keeper Rascasse. However, MGU-K made a spectacular save.
After the restart, Norris was first despite his illness in 1m15.301s and then in 1m15.056s in the middle, leading a McLaren mid-session ahead of Ricciardo by 1-2.
Verstappen passed in the middle and climbed to the top in 1m14.712s, 0.188s ahead of Perez. Verstappen then had a great block and went straight to Ste Devote as Leclerc jumped to the second and Sainz had a possible faster lap ruined by traffic in the pool section.
Leclerc then took the P1 in 1m14.531s, 0.07s ahead of Sainz before Perez climbed to second, 0.039s of the fastest time. Verstappen was fourth, ahead of Norris, Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) and Ricciardo. George Russell (Mercedes) was eighth, ahead of Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel – a rare smooth runner in this session – and Lewis Hamilton’s Merc.
Kevin Magnussen (Haas) and Perez also took a trip down the Ste Devote getaway.
Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas did not set a time due to a problem with the gearbox.
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Results of the FP2 Monaco Grand Prix: Sainz’s fastest Leclerc
What happened to the Monaco GP free practice 2?
Magnussen set the first bar in 1m15.972s, quickly usurped by Leclerc in 1m15.762s.
Times dropped substantially, with Pérez being first in 1m14.001s, a quarter of a second ahead of Verstappen, both Red Bulls leading the media initially with the Ferraris behind them hard.
Vettel had a great time in the pool, and only kept it off the wall, before Ricciardo crashed hard into the same spot, sliding the left front corner of the car against the barriers.
After the restart, Fernando Alonso (Alpine) was one of the first drivers with soft rubber and jumped to the field shortly before Pérez and Verstappen regained the first places, Pérez producing 1m13.324s for the P1.
Leclerc clocked 1m13.125s on his first lap, which was overtaken by Verstappen with 1m13.103s on his second lap, then Leclerc improved to set a new P1 time of 1m12.764s. Sainz was second, three tenths of a second behind his teammate.
Leclerc reduced his time to 1m12.656s, and Sainz did the same, reaching 0.221s and then 0.044s, which is how they finished.
Perez was third ahead of Verstappen, Norris, Russell, Gasly, Alonso, Vettel and Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri).
Hamilton went straight to Mirabeau and rejoined, while Norris cut through the wall at Ste Devote and had a second adventure there late.
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