Monegasque Charles Leclerc dominated both free practice sessions at the Monaco Grand Prix, where the Ferrari driver could use a home win to regain the lead in the F1 championship.
Ferrari had a very happy day when Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr. finished. just behind his ally Leclerc.
We still need to adjust the balance, but in general it’s not too bad and we just need to take the step from Friday to Saturday now.Leclerc’s reaction.
Red Bull followed Ferrari, with Mexican Sergio Pérez and Dutchman Max Verstappen third and fourth in the fastest times.
We had two great sessions, even though the long stints were a bit difficult due to traffic, Pérez said. But in general we seem to be lacking in speed compared to today’s very powerful Ferrari. So we’ll review everything and see what we can do.
Yes, we were surprised, he continued. We expect a small gap, but not much.
Verstappen said Red Bull is still trying to find the perfect balance on this city’s circuit.
I think we generally tried a few things to see how the car felt, “Verstappen said. I think I was a bit happier in P1 than in P2, and yes of course if you have better balance you can push a bit more and of course your lap time will be better.
Leclerc lost the championship lead last week in Spain to Verstappen, who won three straight races to oust Monegasque at the top of the standings.
But Leclerc is motivated in Monaco, where he has yet to complete an F1 race on the streets of his hometown. Although he won pole position in 2021, he did not start the race due to a technical problem with his Ferrari.
Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton struggled again. The duo is lagging behind Ferrari and Red Bull when it comes to speed. The new Mercedes is having a hard time being called porpoisingan aerodynamic problem where vehicles jump and bounce on the track.
If Russell was able to climb into the top 6, the situation would have been a bit more complicated for his teammate Hamilton, who finished the second session in 12th place, more than a second and a half behind the leaders.
This is probably the smartest track I’ve ridden, said the seven-time world champion. Our car bounced hard. This is different from what we have experienced before. It’s low speed, but it’s not related to aerodynamics.
I think the bumps on the trail only make it worse. But if not, I don’t really have to approach the track differently. I only had to fight one lap in the car. I don’t remember ever experiencing anything like this beforecontinued Hamilton.
The Canadian Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) on its part was relegated to 16th place, almost two seconds from reference time. His teammate Sebastian Vettel was ranked in 9th position.
The tires suffered a bit in the heat, so dealing with wear and tear will be an important part of Sunday’s race, Stroll described. As always, there are still some points to be made, but I am convinced we will improve before qualifying.
The afternoon session was delayed by a few minutes when Australian Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren) slipped sideways on the guardrails. His damaged vehicle was removed from the track by a crane.
Another free training session is scheduled for Saturday, followed by qualification for the race on Sunday.
Source: Radio-Canada
