Charles Leclerc completed a dream Friday in Monaco by topping both practice sessions at his home Grand Prix, laying down a statement of intent as Ferrari delivered a standout showing in front of a rapturous local crowd. The Monegasque driver backed up his FP1 benchmark with a blistering 1:11.355 lap in FP2, edging out Oscar Piastri by just 0.038s in a session that was anything but smooth.
What To Know?
- Leclerc Doubles Up: Charles Leclerc topped both Friday sessions, setting the fastest time in FP2 despite traffic and multiple red flags.
- Red Flag Disruptions: Incidents for Oscar Piastri and Isack Hadjar halted the session twice, highlighting the track’s unforgiving nature.
- Ferrari Finds Form: Ferrari showed strong pace with Leclerc P1 and Hamilton P3, signaling a major rebound from their Imola struggles.
Two red flags punctuated the second hour of practice in round eight of the 2025 F1 season, with Isack Hadjar and Piastri both finding the barriers in separate incidents. Hadjar was first, losing a rear tyre after clipping the inside of the Nouvelle Chicane. Piastri followed with a rare error, slamming the Sainte Devote wall head-on while on a fast lap, though he was able to limp back to the pits for repairs and still finish second fastest—an impressive recovery.
Formula One History Recommends
-
2025 Monaco GP FP1: Leclerc tops the opening session for Ferrari
-
-
2025 Monaco GP Qualifying: Norris beats Leclerc and Piastri to pole
-
Leclerc’s flying laps came in two waves on soft tyres, first eclipsing Fernando Alonso’s earlier sub-1:12 marker and then improving further to lock in the top spot. His Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton also showed strong pace, rounding out the top three and signalling a sharp turnaround for the Scuderia after their struggles in Imola. Lando Norris slotted into P4, continuing McLaren’s consistent form in what’s shaping up to be a tightly packed championship fight.
Behind the frontrunners, the grid remained as unpredictable as ever. Liam Lawson and Hadjar delivered a Racing Bulls double in fifth and sixth despite Hadjar’s second brush with the wall late in the session. Alonso, Alex Albon, and Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli all impressed ahead of Max Verstappen, who endured a frustrating session plagued by balance issues, visor complaints, and an off-track excursion. The reigning champion could only manage 10th, narrowly ahead of teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
The rest of the field featured tight margins but scattered fortunes. George Russell and Carlos Sainz found themselves just outside the top ten, while Gabriel Bortoleto, under fire from Verstappen for impeding, placed 14th. Ollie Bearman ended 15th but faces a post-session investigation for a possible red-flag infringement.
Pierre Gasly led the charge for Alpine in 17th, while teammate Franco Colapinto trailed the field. Stroll, penalized earlier for his FP1 tangle with Leclerc, could do no better than 18th, ahead of Esteban Ocon’s Haas.
With just one more practice session before the all-important Monaco qualifying, the storylines are building: Leclerc’s home heroics, Ferrari’s resurgence, and a grid where mere tenths separate the front from the chasing pack.
Bearman handed 10-place grid penalty
Post session, Haas rookie Ollie Bearman was served a 10-place grid penalty for the Monaco Grand Prix after stewards ruled he breached red flag regulations during FP2. The penalty followed an incident where Bearman was seen overtaking Carlos Sainz under red flag conditions caused by Oscar Piastri’s crash—a move caught on the TV replay and later reviewed by officials.
Following a review of onboard footage and telemetry, and a visit to the stewards by Bearman and a Haas team representative, officials confirmed the rookie had breached red flag rules—resulting in a hefty 10-place grid penalty. His sanction joins that of Lance Stroll, who was penalised earlier for an FP1 collision with Charles Leclerc, meaning at least two drivers would head into Saturday’s all-important qualifying session carrying grid drops.
2025 Monaco GP FP2 Results
2025 Monaco Grand Prix FP2, 23 May 2025
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:11.355 | 32 | |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:11.393 | +0.038s | 28 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:11.460 | +0.105s | 30 |
| 4 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:11.677 | +0.322s | 32 |
| 5 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:11.823 | +0.468s | 32 |
| 6 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:11.842 | +0.487s | 17 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:11.890 | +0.535s | 30 |
| 8 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:11.918 | +0.563s | 34 |
| 9 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:12.002 | +0.647s | 32 |
| 10 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:12.068 | +0.713s | 29 |
| 11 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:12.072 | +0.717s | 30 |
| 12 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:12.092 | +0.737s | 32 |
| 13 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:12.151 | +0.796s | 32 |
| 14 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:12.234 | +0.879s | 29 |
| 15 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:12.259 | +0.904s | 33 |
| 16 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:12.262 | +0.907s | 32 |
| 17 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:12.404 | +1.049s | 34 |
| 18 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:12.512 | +1.157s | 30 |
| 19 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 1:12.541 | +1.186s | 33 |
| 20 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine Renault | 1:13.415 | +2.060s | 31 |
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 23 May 2025 – 25 May 2025
Race date: Sunday, 25 May, 2025
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Circuit de Monaco
Laps: 78
Circuit length: 3.337km
2024 winner: Charles Leclerc
Seen in:
