F1 Monaco GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & FP2
Friday's action from the eighth round of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
F1 returns to Monaco for its annual dash around the principality, where all the focus will be on what is arguably the most important qualifying session of the season.
With the gap between Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari appearing to shrink with the latest raft of updates and the walls waiting to claim unsuspecting drivers, the pressure will be high not to make a mistake.
FP1 starts at 12:30 BST (13:30 local time) followed by FP2 at 16:00 BST (17:00 local time).
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Summary
Summary
Charles Leclerc set fastest time in second practice for Formula 1's Monaco Grand Prix
Ferrari driver is quickest in every sector to outpace Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes by 0.188s as Max Verstappen ends up over half a second off the pace for Red Bull
Verstappen complained that he was "jumping like a kangaroo" before clipping the wall with left-rear exiting Turn 7
Stroll and Gasly also bump the wall hard with right-fronts at the Swimming Pool
With no one improving, Leclerc ends Friday on top, with Hamilton second and Alonso third. Verstappen and Norris completed the top five, making it five different teams represented in those positions.
Backing up his FP1 pace, Hamilton will end FP2 in second place. We'll say it again, with qualifying being crucial here, this will give the Mercedes driver a lot of confidence for Saturday.
A heart-in-mouth moment for Leclerc fans, as he briefly stops on the track. In reality, he made the well-rehearsed error of using the escape road at Sainte Devote.
Finally, we're back onto the medium and hard compounds. Long runs may not be as crucial as qualifying here, but teams still need the data to see how the tyres will hold on across the distance.
With 15 minutes to go, there is still a focus on single-lap pace, such is the importance of qualifying. Ordinarily, we'd be looking at longer runs now.
Ocon scraped along the barrier on the exit of the Swimming Pool and looks to have gotten away with it. He continues on, so Alpine hasn't seen anything of immediate concern.
Traffic jam! Gasly was on an improved effort when he came across a gaggle of four cars through the Swimming Pool and had to back out. Expect more of this and some frustrated radio messages as the weekend unfolds.
Looking to the rear of the order, Sauber look to be struggling somewhat with Bottas in P18 and Zhou P20. Alpine are also having a tough time with Gasly and Ocon P15 and P17.
Albon has left the pits on soft tyres. We're entering the phase where we'll begin to see who could set themselves up for the best chance of a Monaco GP victory.
"I'm jumping like a kangaroo, man. I'm getting headaches, it's crazy," Verstappen informs Red Bull. All does not seem well at a track that Red Bull expected not to suit them as much as some others.
"This vibration braking into Turn 11 is insane at the moment. It's impossible to hold onto the steering wheel," reports Russell as he skips across the Nouvelle Chicane.
It's a continuation of a problem he suffered in FP1.
Away from the top, Norris moves into the top five, initially to fourth before being pushed back by the new fastest driver, Charles Leclerc - a 1m12.372s the time to beat.
I take it all back about the drivers not pushing early on as Hamilton returns to the top with a very loose-looking Mercedes. But moments later, Verstappen goes fastest with a 1m13.265s.
