Monaco Grand Prix: Charles Leclerc Tops First Practice Despite Ferrari Woes
Charles Leclerc set the pace in the first practice session at the Monaco Grand Prix, despite expressing concerns about the behaviour of his Ferrari. The Monegasque driver, who won his home race for the first time last year, consistently complained about the car’s performance, at one point saying that Ferrari were "nowhere" and that there was "something wrong with the car".
According to the BBC, Leclerc ended the session 0.163 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, with McLaren’s Lando Norris third, 0.326secs off the pace. Williams’ Alex Albon finished fourth, while championship leader Oscar Piastri rounded out the top five.
The session was marked by an incident-packed run for Leclerc, who started by taking to the escape road at Mirabeau on his very first lap. He soon afterwards hit the rear of Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin at the Loews hairpin, after the Canadian veered into the Ferrari’s path while on a slow lap. This incident damaged Leclerc’s front wing, but he was able to continue. Stroll, however, took no further part in the session due to rear suspension damage and the need to change his gearbox.
The BBC reports that Stroll was also given a one-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race. Despite the issues, Leclerc remained optimistic about his chances, although he was pessimistic about Ferrari’s hopes for Monaco. "It was a bit of a difficult session, but we managed to get some good laps in," Leclerc said.
The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most prestigious events on the Formula 1 calendar, and Leclerc will be looking to make it a hat-trick of wins at his home circuit. However, his concerns about the Ferrari’s performance will need to be addressed if he is to have any chance of success. As the BBC notes, Leclerc’s team will need to work quickly to resolve the issues that plagued him during the first practice session.
In a statement, Leclerc said: "There was something wrong with the car, I don’t know what it is yet, but we need to find out. We are nowhere at the moment, and we need to improve." The BBC reports that Leclerc’s team are working to resolve the issues, and the Monegasque driver will be looking to put on a strong performance in front of his home fans.
The Monaco Grand Prix continues on Saturday with the second practice session, before qualifying takes place on Sunday. The BBC will provide live coverage of all the action from the Circuit de Monaco.
The championship leader, Oscar Piastri will look to keep his title hopes on track. His performance in the first practice session shows he has a good understanding of his car. The Australian will look to make it a strong weekend in Monaco.
Only time will tell if Charles Leclerc can overcome his car’s issues and keep his Monaco Grand Prix dreams alive.
