Gabriele Minì topped F2 Free Practice in Monaco, setting a 1:21.809 to go fastest in a session that constantly evolved in Monte Carlo.
Kush Maini finished second, just 0.020s behind, with Alex Dunne completing the top three.
The session was heavily interrupted from the start, as red flags, traffic and track evolution all played their part.
Early stoppage sets the tone
Cars were immediately on track at the start of the session on the Soft compound. However, the opening phase was quickly halted when Oliver Goethe stopped at Turn 16. That brought out the first red flag and immediately broke up early preparation runs.
Once the session resumed, the pace began to build almost lap by lap, as grip improved around the circuit. Monaco started to come towards the drivers, and the times came down with it.
Dunne set the early reference for Rodin Motorsport with a 1:24.445, before Laurens van Hoepen broke into the 1:23s for TRIDENT with a 1:23.967. This moved the TRIDENT driver briefly to the top of the timesheets.
From there, it began to swing. Dunne responded with a 1:23.478 while Minì went quickest with a 1:23.180. But there was no stopping Dunne as he returned to P1 with a 1:22.763. Across the field, purple sectors started to appear, and the track and tyres reached optimal conditions.
But the session never quite settled. While drivers chased fastest sectors and personal bests, traffic started to become an issue due to Monaco’s narrow streets. Traffic built, gaps mattered, and in Monaco that was often the difference between a clean lap and a compromised one.
Second red flag resets the rhythm
After a few narrow misses with the walls and other cars, drivers found a way to cope with traffic. Just as the field began to settle into a proper run plan, the session was interrupted again.
That was until the session was interrupted when Rafael Villagómez ended up in the barriers at Casino Square on the approach to Turn 4. It was a snap at Turn 3 that sent the Van Amersfoort Racing driver into the wall. As a result, the session was red flagged once again.
The recovery was relatively quick, but the damage was already done in terms of flow. The second red flag brought everything back to a standstill and effectively reset the session heading into the closing phase. With the clock ticking down, the final runs would be made in a short, high-pressure window on an improving track.
Final push defines the order in the closing minutes
Once the session resumed, drivers were taking advantage of the rapidly improving track, making the most of the final minutes.
Maini moved into the top three, while Minì briefly returned to P1 with a 1:22.531 as the field prepared for the final push.
From there, the order tightened further. Van Hoepen briefly went quickest, Maini responded with a 1:21.829 to take control. Dunne also improved to stay right in the mix as the session reached its peak.
But in the end, it was Minì who delivered the decisive lap, setting a 1:21.809 to move back to the top and secure P1 by just 0.020s.
What’s next
Free Practice is complete, and attention now turns to Qualifying on Friday. Qualifying in Monaco is key, and track position will define much of the weekend. Especially given how tight the grid is and how quickly the track evolves, we are in for an exciting qualifying session on Friday.
Feature Image Credits: Formula 2 on X