The sun-soaked streets of Monte Carlo welcomed F1 FP2 at the Monaco Grand Prix, with drivers eager to dial in their setups on one of the most punishing circuits in Formula 1.
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Green Flag
With the pit lane showing green, drivers wasted no time taking to the streets of Monte Carlo for FP2 at the Monaco Grand Prix. Typical installation laps began for all teams and drivers, but they quickly got into some flying laps.
Lewis Hamilton attempted to set a fast early lap, but was held up in sector three by a slow-moving Williams. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen was able to deliver a clean lap. Piastri and Leclerc were able to close in on Max, but not enough to unseat him.
Red Flag Halts the Session
The first red flag of the session came early on, with 52 minutes still remaining. Rookie Isack Hadjar clipped the wall at the Nouvelle Chicane, striking his left rear against the unforgiving Monaco barriers. The impact caused a puncture, forcing Hadjar to stop on track briefly before dragging the Racing Bulls back to the garage. The car appears to have escaped with minimal damage.
Green Again
With under 48 minutes remaining, FP2 goes again. Carlos Sainz was among the first to charge into a flying lap after the stoppage. He found himself wrestling the Williams and backed out of the lap, opting to cool the tires and try again.
Both Mercedes quietly climbed the timing sheets, showing improved pace after a muted FP1. Leclerc continued his run of form at home and was also near the top.
Red Again: Piastri into Sainte Devote
With around 38 minutes on the clock, Oscar Piastri brought out the second red flag of FP2 in Monaco. Running long into Sainte Devote, the McLaren left its front wing in the barrier. Piasrti kept the damage minimal and returned to the pits under the slower red flag speeds.
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Rolling Once More
The track went green again with 35 minutes remaining in FP2, and drivers wasted no time getting back into rhythm. Charles Leclerc lit up the sectors with a quick lap to leapfrog both Silver Arrows. The midfield is tightening, and the battle for supremacy behind Leclerc is heating up. Hamilton quietly closes in on his teammate, claiming P3 with 28 minutes remaining in the session.
Surprise Names Near the Top
With 24 minutes left on the clock, Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, and Carlos Sainz reminded everyone that raw pace isn’t reserved for the usual suspects. Alonso slotted into P2, just 0.535s off Leclerc’s benchmark, with Albon a mere fraction behind in P3, 0.563s adrift. Sainz followed in P5, just behind Hamilton, showing strong recovery pace after earlier wobbles.
But before the dust could settle, Lando Norris lit up the timing screens and jumped to P2, just 0.482s off Leclerc. The McLaren is very much in the mix, and it’s becoming clear: qualifying will be close!
Last 20 Minutes: Action Abounds
As the clock ticked under 20 minutes for F1 FP2 at Monaco, Charles Leclerc raised the bar yet again. He extended his lead at the top of the timing sheets, going 0.322s clear of Lando Norris. But the fight behind him erupted into a flurry of late-session pace and on-track drama.
Fernando Alonso made his feelings very clear over the radio, expressing his frustration with the heavy traffic around the circuit, Monaco being Monaco. Liam Lawson also stunned the paddock by climbing to P3 with a lap just 0.468s off Leclerc’s best.
With 16 minutes remaining, Lewis Hamilton hooked up a tidy lap and jumped to P2, just 0.105s down—giving Ferrari a brief 1-2 hold at the top. Then came the orange wave: Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris went P3 and P4 with 12 minutes to go, pushing Lawson and Hadjar to P5 and P6, respectively. Further back, Verstappen at surprisingly quiet in P10. A rare sight, and a possible signal that Red Bull have work to do overnight.
But the drama wasn’t done. Just outside the 10-minute mark, yellow flags were out again as Isack Hadjar once more met the barriers. Unlike earlier, this time it wasn’t a puncture. It was, however, full-on suspension damage to the rear left. The Racing Bulls car was clearly worse for wear. The earlier tap might’ve weakened something, but this hit sealed it.
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Final Push
With just five minutes to play, Oscar Piastri lit up the timing screens one last time. He was able to get himself into P2 and squeeze between the Ferraris.
The final moments of FP2 shifted gears as most teams turned their attention to long runs. The lap times slowed, tyre management took center stage, and traffic returned with a vengeance. The hunt for long-run data took priority over glory runs, but the leaderboard still told the story.
Leclerc ended the session on top, the home hero fastest of all. Piastri slotted in just behind, followed by Hamilton in P3, with Norris, Lawson, and Hadjar all maintaining top-six times. Alonso’s pace got lost in the traffic, while Verstappen remained marooned down in P10, visibly fighting a car that looked anything but planted.
If the F1 FP2 Monaco Grand Prix session is any indication, qualifying tomorrow won’t just be close, it’ll be brutal. F1 returns to the track for FP3 tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. local time, followed by Qualifying at 4:00 p.m. local time.
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Feature Image Credit: EverythingF1
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