2026 Monaco GP FP2: Hamilton edges Leclerc

Ferrari continued to underline their status as the team to beat around the streets of Monte Carlo after Lewis Hamilton topped Friday’s second practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix, leading team-mate Charles Leclerc in another dominant display from the Scuderia.

Following Leclerc’s pace-setting performance in FP1, Hamilton took over at the head of the field during the afternoon session, producing a best lap of 1m 13.026s on the soft compound tyre. The seven-time world champion finished 0.111s clear of Leclerc, while Max Verstappen ensured Red Bull remained firmly in the mix by ending the session just 0.168s off the benchmark.

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As the Monaco Grand Prix weekend gathered momentum, Ferrari’s early pace suggested the Italian outfit could finally have the package required to challenge Mercedes’ recent dominance on a circuit where qualifying performance often decides everything.

2026 Moaco Grand Prix FP2 Results

2026 Monaco Grand Prix FP2, 5 June 2026

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:13.026	36
2	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.111s	36
3	3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	+0.168s	35
4	63	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.379s	35
5	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.503s	35
6	6	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull Racing	+1.061s	24
7	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+1.062s	31
8	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.068s	34
9	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.333s	35
10	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas F1 Team	+1.430s	37
11	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.471s	37
12	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+1.486s	34
13	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	+1.574s	39
14	41	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.722s	37
15	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+1.732s	31
16	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+1.759s	36
17	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas F1 Team	+1.819s	35
18	11	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+2.090s	31
19	1	Lando Norris	McLaren	+2.248s	8
20	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+2.268s	30
21	77	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+2.733s	28
22	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+3.148s	27

When the green light illuminated at the end of the pit lane at 1700 local time, there was once again no shortage of eager participants. Drivers queued at the pit exit before the session had even begun, fully aware that every lap around Monaco is invaluable when building confidence around Formula 1’s most unforgiving circuit.

Ferrari immediately resumed where they had left off just a few hours earlier.

Running the medium compound tyres, Leclerc established the initial benchmark with a 1m 14.240s before Hamilton edged close on a 1m 14.306s. Both SF-26s looked planted through Monaco’s low-speed sections and particularly comfortable under braking, reinforcing the strong impression they had already made during the opening session.

The pace continued to increase as track evolution took hold. Hamilton lowered the benchmark to a 1m 13.729s while also surviving several lively moments through the high-speed Piscine complex, where even the slightest mistake can end a session instantly against the barriers.

Verstappen soon inserted himself into the Ferrari battle by climbing to second place, a couple of tenths adrift, while Leclerc settled into third ahead of Mercedes duo Kimi Antonelli and George Russell. Russell himself flirted with disaster when he suffered a significant snap exiting the Swimming Pool section, somehow gathering the car before it could make contact with the wall.

While Ferrari and Red Bull enjoyed productive running, fortunes varied elsewhere throughout the field.

There was a welcome return to action for Isack Hadjar after his FP1 crash at the Swimming Pool chicane. The Frenchman thanked his mechanics over team radio as he left the garage in a repaired RB22, providing a much-needed boost after his disrupted morning.

McLaren’s session, however, quickly unravelled.

Lando Norris, who arrived in Monaco as the defending race winner and with hopes of helping celebrate McLaren’s 1000th Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend, suffered an early setback when his MCL40 ground to a halt at the Nouvelle Chicane. The stoppage triggered a Virtual Safety Car period and left Norris with limited running at one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar.

The interruption temporarily halted what had been a busy opening half-hour filled with rapid improvements across the field.

Once green flag conditions returned, attention turned towards qualifying simulations.

Verstappen was among the first frontrunners to switch onto the soft compound tyre and immediately moved to the top of the standings with a lap of 1m 13.467s. Behind him, Hamilton and Leclerc both improved despite remaining on medium tyres, posting times of 1m 13.549s and 1m 13.613s respectively.

However, once Ferrari bolted on the red-walled soft tyres, the balance of power shifted once again.

Hamilton delivered the fastest lap of the day with a 1m 13.026s, reclaiming top spot and becoming the first driver to break into the low 1m13s. Leclerc followed shortly afterwards, but the home favourite could not quite match his team-mate’s pace, finishing just over a tenth behind to complete a Ferrari one-two.

Verstappen remained within striking distance in third, suggesting Red Bull could still play a major role in qualifying despite Ferrari’s impressive start to the weekend.

Mercedes also continued to show solid pace. Russell ended the session fourth despite having his soft tyre run compromised by traffic involving Audi rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, while championship leader Antonelli rounded out the top five after reporting handling concerns over team radio.

“The car in Sector 2 is so unpredictable,” the Italian complained during the session, highlighting an area Mercedes will look to address overnight.

Hadjar recovered well from his earlier accident to finish sixth after completing a valuable collection of laps around the Principality. Oscar Piastri led McLaren’s charge in seventh following Norris’ premature exit, while Audi continued their encouraging form with Nico Hulkenberg and Bortoleto claiming eighth and ninth respectively.

Haas rookie Ollie Bearman completed the top ten, narrowly ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

The Williams pairing of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon followed in 12th and 13th, while Racing Bulls duo Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson sandwiched Franco Colapinto’s Alpine. The Argentine endured his own Monaco scare after striking the barriers at Sainte Devote, though he escaped significant damage and continued running.

Esteban Ocon finished 17th in the second Haas, while the remainder of the order featured the sidelined Norris, both Cadillac drivers and the Aston Martin pairing.

The session’s final drama arrived in the closing moments when Sergio Perez suffered a technical issue aboard his Cadillac. Smoke began pouring from the cockpit of the Mexican’s car, forcing him to stop and triggering a red flag that effectively ended the session prematurely.

With Friday’s running complete, Ferrari emerged as the standout performer after securing practice one-two finishes in both sessions. However, with Verstappen remaining close and Mercedes still searching for answers, attention now shifts towards Saturday’s final practice session at 1230 local time, before one of the most important qualifying hours of the 2026 season unfolds later in the day.