Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets in first practice for the Monaco Grand Prix at his home track.
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The opening hour was disrupted by two red flags after separate incidents at the Swimming Pool complex. Isack Hadjar suffered the heaviest impact when the rear of his Red Bull snapped at the chicane, sending him over the exit kerb and into the barrier and causing substantial damage.
Track temperatures and grip improved rapidly as the session progressed, and with seven minutes remaining Leclerc posted the quickest lap, a 1’13.978. That marginally bettered the 1’14.204 put in by team mate Lewis Hamilton moments earlier. Both times, however, were about two seconds slower than the fastest time posted in the same session last year, when Leclerc also led the way.
Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull, a small consolation after Hadjar’s crash. Hadjar was clearly puzzled by the incident: “I don’t understand why it snapped like that,” he said after climbing out of the car.
A second stoppage late in the session prevented several drivers from completing flying laps during the best track conditions. Fernando Alonso lost the rear of his Aston Martin under braking for the chicane and hit the right-hand barrier, damaging the AMR26’s front wing.
The session resumed with one minute on the clock, leaving only enough time for drivers to complete practice starts. As a result, championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli ended the hour fourth-fastest, ahead of team mate George Russell. Earlier in the session both Mercedes drivers had matched the pace of the Ferraris while running on the hard tyres.
Lando Norris went off at the Swimming Pool shortly before Hadjar’s more serious accident. Norris finished sixth, two positions ahead of team mate Oscar Piastri, who lost time after being held up by Arvid Lindblad at Tabac.
Nico Hulkenberg slotted his striking yellow Audi between the McLarens, while team mate Gabriel Bortoleto posted ninth-fastest, showing promising pace for the squad. Pierre Gasly’s Alpine and the Williams pairing completed the top ten and eleven respectively.
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2026 Monaco Grand Prix first practice result
| P. | # | Driver | Team | Model | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | SF-26 | 1’13.978 | 31 | |
| 2 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | SF-26 | 1’14.204 | 0.226 | 28 |
| 3 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Red Bull-Ford | RB22 | 1’14.491 | 0.513 | 26 |
| 4 | 12 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | W17 | 1’14.537 | 0.559 | 31 |
| 5 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | W17 | 1’14.983 | 1.005 | 29 |
| 6 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL40 | 1’15.291 | 1.313 | 27 |
| 7 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | R26 | 1’15.343 | 1.365 | 27 |
| 8 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL40 | 1’15.565 | 1.587 | 29 |
| 9 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | R26 | 1’15.750 | 1.772 | 31 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Mercedes | A526 | 1’15.828 | 1.850 | 32 |
| 11 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | FW48 | 1’15.989 | 2.011 | 33 |
| 12 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Williams-Mercedes | FW48 | 1’16.041 | 2.063 | 31 |
| 13 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull-Red Bull-Ford | RB22 | 1’16.148 | 2.170 | 14 |
| 14 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac-Ferrari | MAC-26 | 1’16.170 | 2.192 | 28 |
| 15 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine-Mercedes | A526 | 1’16.189 | 2.211 | 32 |
| 16 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas-Ferrari | VF-26 | 1’16.292 | 2.314 | 31 |
| 17 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas-Ferrari | VF-26 | 1’16.333 | 2.355 | 31 |
| 18 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls-Red Bull-Ford | 03 | 1’16.389 | 2.411 | 34 |
| 19 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls-Red Bull-Ford | 03 | 1’16.431 | 2.453 | 31 |
| 20 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Honda | AMR26 | 1’16.678 | 2.700 | 21 |
| 21 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac-Ferrari | MAC-26 | 1’17.460 | 3.482 | 27 |
| 22 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Honda | AMR26 | 1’17.556 | 3.578 | 16 |
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2026 Monaco Grand Prix
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- Hamilton calls current F1 cars ‘one of my least favourite I’ve driven here’
- Russell has ‘been nowhere in the last three races’ after ‘easy’ start to season
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- Stewards warn Audi over message to Hulkenberg, Williams fined for pit incident
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