Ferrari Driver Charles Leclerc Shows Strong Performance in Monaco GP Practice

Charles Leclerc, the Monegasque Ferrari driver, topped both practice sessions for Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix. However, he remains cautious about the weekend’s prospects despite his impressive performance. An early incident with Lance Stroll during FP1 caused a moment of worry, but Leclerc quickly regained his form, setting the fastest time in FP1 and further improving it in FP2.

Incident with Lance Stroll in FP1

In FP1, Leclerc had a close call when he clipped Stroll’s Aston Martin at the Grand Hotel Hairpin. The Canadian failed to see Leclerc and moved back onto the racing line after letting traffic pass. But Leclerc quickly recovered and set the only FP1 lap time within the 1m11s, with a time of 1m11.964s, just under 0.2s faster than Max Verstappen.

In FP2, Leclerc continued to find more time, setting a series of quick laps on soft tyres to eventually file a 1m11.355s. Oscar Piastri came close but ultimately fell short by 0.038s.

Leclerc’s Cautious Optimism

Despite his strong performance, Leclerc remains cautiously optimistic about the weekend. “Maybe a bit less convinced, but let’s say I’m not convinced the other way either,” he said. He believes that Friday in Monaco is always unique and specific, and everyone is taking their own reference.

Leclerc admits that qualifying pace will still be crucial on Saturday for a good race result. The addition of a second mandatory stop may open up more strategic opportunities for victory. He also mentioned that the Ferrari felt good on all three compounds Pirelli brought to the weekend, potentially opening the door to using the C5 medium in qualifying.

Lewis Hamilton’s High Spirits

Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate, Lewis Hamilton, was in high spirits following practice, particularly praising the Monaco circuit, which he described as “the best rollercoaster ride.” Hamilton stated that he was generally happy with the package and that there is more to find in his driving rather than any overnight set-up changes. He mentioned that he needs to improve his lines and braking for example, by one tenth in Turn 1. He also suggested subtle changes to the car, like a quarter of a degree of camber, but not many significant changes.