Overview
- Ferrari set the pace on Friday with two one-two finishes in practice, Lewis Hamilton fastest in FP2 and Charles Leclerc quickest in FP1, leaving the Scuderia as early favourites for qualifying and the race.
- FP1 was twice stopped after heavy incidents: Isack Hadjar slammed into the Swimming Pool barriers and walked away while Fernando Alonso clipped the Nouvelle Chicane and shed debris that halted running.
- Fernando Alonso and team-mate Lance Stroll have reported persistent gearbox problems, including unexpected downshifts and loss of gear sync below low speeds, which Alonso warned could cause crashes in Monaco if not fixed.
- Other teams faced technical setbacks on Friday that cut running and preparation, with Lando Norris stopping with a power-unit issue, Sergio Pérez ending FP2 with a brake fire, and Max Verstappen complaining about Red Bull balance.
- Monaco’s low-speed, tight layout magnifies transmission faults and limits clean laps for setup work, so Friday’s incidents and unresolved Aston Martin warnings raise immediate safety and reliability questions ahead of qualifying.