The Monaco Grand Prix practice sessions revealed a chaotic start, particularly for Australia’s Oscar Piastri, who collided with a barrier, resulting in the session’s second red flag. Piastri was trailing local hero Charles Leclerc when his tyres locked, sending his McLaren into the wall and damaging the front wing. However, he managed to steer back to the pit lane after the mishap.
Piastri’s incident followed a similar fate for Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar, who punctured his tyre just ten minutes into the session by clipping the barrier at turn 10. Despite the earlier mishap, Piastri displayed his competitive spirit by recovering to secure the second-fastest time of the day. Reflecting on the performance, he remarked, “Ferrari are clearly looking a lot stronger than they have done,” with Leclerc topping both practice sessions.
Moving to the main event, recent rule changes aimed at enhancing the Monaco Grand Prix’s often lacklustre racing will require drivers to change tyres at least twice, potentially shaking up strategies that usually favour grid positions. Max Verstappen noted that this could lead to either straightforward outcomes or unpredictable chaos depending on pit strategies and safety car usage.
Historically viewed as one of Formula 1’s most prestigious races, the Monaco Grand Prix can often become a predictable affair, with overtaking difficult on the narrow streets. Last year’s race exemplified this, with a first-lap crash bringing out a red flag that limited pit strategy variety. Verstappen suggested that the two-stop strategy might challenge drivers to make riskier decisions regarding their pit stops.
In the first practice session of the day, Leclerc, despite an early crash that damaged his front wing, ultimately posted the fastest time, indicating the strength of Ferrari as they returned to their former glory. Piastri finished in a promising fifth position, while Lewis Hamilton experienced a close call, narrowly avoiding an incident that saw him briefly airborne after hitting a curb.
Isack Hadjar faced frustration due to his own crashes, twice damaging his car, leading to a candid admission of regret over the radio for his mistakes. Additionally, Haas rookie Oliver Bearman received a ten-place grid penalty for overtaking Carlos Sainz during the red flag caused by Piastri’s incident.
As the teams prepare for the race, it’s clear that both strategy and execution will play critical roles in determining the outcome, especially at a venue as famed and challenging as Monaco.