Ferrari dominance confirmed as Hamilton tops Monaco practice

Ferrari has established clear superiority at the Monaco Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton setting the fastest time in the second practice session. The seven-time world champion led his teammate Charles Leclerc by 0.111 seconds, completing a one-two finish that reversed the order from the first session, where Leclerc had headed Hamilton by 0.266 seconds.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured third place in both sessions, followed by Mercedes’ George Russell. Russell finished fourth fastest, placing him 0.124 seconds ahead of championship leader Kimi Antonelli. The Italian driver reported that his Mercedes felt unpredictable in the middle sector of the lap, specifically between Mirabeau and Tabac, which includes the harbour-front chicane.

The session was marked by technical difficulties for several contenders. McLaren’s Lando Norris, who won the Monaco Grand Prix last year on his path to a world title, stopped on track with a technical problem early in the session and finished 19th fastest. Sergio Perez caused a late red flag when he stopped his Cadillac at Casino Square with front brakes on fire.

Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar recovered from a crash in the first practice session to set the sixth fastest time. The Mexican driver lost control entering the second Swimming Pool chicane in the morning session, spinning into the barriers on the exit. Haas driver Oliver Bearman completed the top 10, while Sauber drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto were the best of the rest behind the leading teams.

Aston Martin struggled significantly, with Fernando Alonso finishing 20th fastest and Lance Stroll recording the slowest time of the day, 0.880 seconds off the pace. Alonso narrowly avoided a high-speed crash at the harbour front chicane in the first session, correcting a fishtail that sent his car sliding up the kerb. With overtaking notoriously difficult in Monaco, teams prioritised raw qualifying performance over race-pace simulations.