2026 Monaco GP: Home Hero Leclerc Finishes First Practice Session on Top

The excitement of the Monaco Grand Prix, the most prestigious, narrowest, and most unforgiving race in the Formula 1 world, has finally arrived. While the eyes of the world are on the streets of Monte Carlo, the first data from this very special weekend of the season has started to come in.

Race Information

• Date: Sunday, June 7

• Time: 15:00 (Local Time)

• Circuit: Circuit de Monaco

Ferrari Breeze in the First Practice Session

In the first free practice session (FP1), which started on a sunny Monaco day, all eyes were as always on Charles Leclerc, racing at home. Backed by the support of his fans, the Monegasque driver placed himself at the very top of the timesheets with a time of 1:13.978, achieved on medium compound tires in the final minutes of the session.

Another pleasing news for the weekend that started great for Ferrari came from their new signing, Lewis Hamilton. Taking the lead early in the session, the experienced driver took second place behind his teammate, giving the Italian team a wonderful 1-2 lead. The SF-26's strong performance in low-speed corners signals that they are already favorites on the streets of Monaco.

Verstappen Complaining, Crashes Brought Red Flags

Defending champion Max Verstappen, on the other hand, frequently complained over the radio about the balance and driving feel of the car throughout the session. However, despite all these difficulties, the Dutch driver managed to place third, finishing half a second behind Leclerc.

The narrow barriers of Monaco did not forgive in this session either:

• Red Bull’s young driver Isack Hadjar lost control at the corner exiting the swimming pool and crashed heavily into the barriers. Due to severe damage to the car, the first red flag was waved in the first practice session.

• Just before the end of the session, a piece detached from Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin car led to a second red flag for track safety precautions, and the session ended this way.

Mercedes and Youngsters in Pursuit

In the Mercedes camp following behind Ferrari and Red Bull, young driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli drew attention by taking fourth place, while his teammate George Russell finished fifth. Lando Norris from McLaren found himself a place in sixth on the list.

Before the big race that will start on Sunday at 15:00 local time, the importance of the qualifying rounds increases even more, considering the difficulty of overtaking in Monaco. Let's see if Leclerc can carry this wonderful start at home to the top of the podium.

Image: Eurosport