Leclerc Lights Up Home Streets As Ferrari Lead The Way In Monaco FP1

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Charles Leclerc delivered a statement opening to his home Grand Prix weekend, topping Free Practice 1 at the Monaco Grand Prix to give Ferrari and their newly extended Monegasque star a perfect start to the European leg of the season.

Ferrari kicked off its Monaco Grand Prix weekend in style as Leclerc topped opening practice with a lap of 1:13.978, leading a Scuderia one two ahead of Lewis Hamilton, finishing 0.226 seconds clear of his teammate. Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull, 0.513 seconds off the pace, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli and George Russell completed the top five for Mercedes.

The session was far from straightforward. Leclerc slightly clipped a barrier while Hamilton locked up and went down the run off road at Sainte Devote as drivers pushed the limits of the slippery Monaco surface. Isack Hadjar brought out the first red flag after losing the rear at the Swimming Pool and hitting the barriers heavily, damaging the front of his car. The session restarted but Fernando Alonso then caused another stoppage after losing the rear exiting the tunnel, clipping the barriers and damaging his front wing before limping back to the pits.

After switching to medium tyres, Leclerc reclaimed the top spot after completing his best lap with all purple sectors, ultimately sealing the session in dominant fashion.

There were also tensions between the two Haas drivers, with Esteban Ocon furious that Ollie Bearman had blocked him during his flying lap, while Bearman claimed his team mate was being out of line. Oscar Piastri ended up ninth after traffic compromised one of his quickest laps, with Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto both impressing inside the top ten.

With Leclerc having just signed a new multi-year deal with Ferrari and the entire paddock arriving at his home race, the stage is set for a captivating Monaco weekend. Qualifying will be the true test on these narrow streets, but for now, the Prancing Horse is firmly in control.