The tricky street circuit is symbolic of the iconic Monaco Grand Prix.
MONTE CARLO, Monaco—Charles Leclerc might not have had the best luck on his home circuit, but Friday practice was good enough for the Ferrari driver. He posted the best time of the day, 1:11:289, ahead of the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
Max Verstappen was among several drivers who hit the wall Friday, and he never found his rhythm, finishing fourth. McLaren’s Lando Norris also experienced the same fate. He finished fifth, while Ferrari’s Carlos Saintz finished in sixth.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll had a decent afternoon for the first time in quite a while and took seventh. But Sergio Perez was again disappointed in his run, taking eighth in his Red Bull. Williams’s Alex Albon and the Mercedes of George Russell completed the top ten.
The wall was especially problematic in the afternoon session, but the morning session was not without incidents. Most prominent was when Leclerc ran over the debris of Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu, who had clipped the tire wall 15 minutes before the end of the first session. That situation brought out a red flag, and then Hamilton had his best-timed lap.
It is very important to be near the front on Monaco’s very narrow circuit. Leclerc showed he could maintain the pace by posting the best time in Saturday’s Practice 3 (1:11.369), finishing ahead of Verstappen and Hamilton.
Qualifying will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern time (televised on ESPN2). Sunday’s race will be broadcast on ABC starting at 9 a.m. Eastern.
