Ferrari look the class of the field as Monaco Friday concludes
It is a dream start for the Tifosi, as Ferrari look truly formidable around the unforgiving streets of Monte Carlo. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were pushing from the very first moments of the weekend—perhaps a little too hard, as both drivers had their share of lock-ups and excursions. Leclerc even kissed the barriers at the Swimming Pool chicane, yet the machine stayed intact. By the end of FP2, it was Hamilton who led the way, clocking a 1:13.026 to finish 0.111s ahead of his teammate. It is shaping up to be an absolute dogfight for pole between these two.
Elsewhere, the mood is markedly different. McLaren, celebrating their 1000th Grand Prix, suffered a disastrous Friday. Lando Norris saw his second session cut short by an electrical fault that caused the car to shut down, while Oscar Piastri struggled with pace after tagging the walls. It is a concerning reality for the team, as they appear to have fallen behind the Red Bull of Max Verstappen in the pecking order.
Meanwhile, the Alpine garage had a mixed day. Pierre Gasly found himself in the mix near the top ten, but our man Franco Colapinto had a scare, clonking the barriers fairly heavily during the second session. Thankfully, the car escaped without significant damage. With the field so tight and the margins so small, the data work tonight will be nothing short of intense for everyone on the grid.
