Lewis Hamilton topped Friday practice at Monaco, beating Charles Leclerc by 0.111 seconds and Max Verstappen by 0.168. Ferrari’s two‑man session left the Scuderia looking ready for a first win since October 2024, while Mercedes kept pace with George Russell just 0.379 behind Hamilton in today.

Ferrari’s car thrives on Monaco’s tight, slow‑speed corners, putting Hamilton and Leclerc in a duel for the front row. Verstappen stayed close, third in both sessions, exploiting Red Bull’s short wheelbase, while McLaren and Mercedes added aerodynamic tweaks that fell short of overtaking the Scuderia’s edge for the upcoming race in the wing section.

Mercedes still leads the season, having won all five races, yet George Russell lags 43 points behind champion Kimi Antonelli. With only a half‑second gap to Hamilton, any slip on Monaco’s narrow track could push the German crew onto the podium, where overtaking is notoriously difficult for the drivers late in the day season standings.

Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto posted eighth and ninth, aiming for points after missing the Australian opening race. Lando Norris suffered a battery issue that cost 45 minutes of track time, while Sergio Perez’s brake fire triggered Monaco’s sole red flag, underscoring the circuit’s unforgiving nature for the teams in the high stakes weekend.