Sports
Hamilton fastest as Ferrari underline favourites status in Monaco practice
June 5, 2026
Source: SkySports | News · Read on source site
Lewis Hamilton led Charles Leclerc in a Ferrari one-two in second practice with Max Verstappen in third; watch final practice on Saturday at 11.30am with Qualifying at 3pm (build-up from 2.15pm) - live on Sky Sports F1
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>Lewis Hamilton was fastest from Charles Leclerc as Ferrari underlined their status as favourites for victory at the Monaco Grand Prix.
>Hamilton beat Leclerc by 0.111s with Red Bull's Max Verstappen only 0.168s off the pace but Ferrari had a perfect Friday, having also had a one-two in first practice.
>The unique nature of the Monaco circuit, which features several slow and medium speed corners, suit the characteristics of Ferrari's car which means Hamilton and Leclerc have a big opportunity to earn the team's first Grand Prix victory since October 2024.
>Mercedes have won all five races so far this season but George Russell, who is 43 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli, was 0.379s adrift of Hamilton.
>Antonelli was half a second behind, so it could be a fight for Mercedes to get onto the podium if they are unable to qualify towards the front, given overtaking will be challenging in Sunday's race.
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>Lando Norris suffered a potential battery problem, the same issue that led to Russell's retirement at the Canadian Grand Prix, and lost 45 minutes of crucial track time.
>His team-mate Oscar Piastri did not look too competitive, either, in seventh, behind Isack Hadjar who crashed early in first practice.
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>Audi also look quick in Monaco with Nico Hulkenberg in eighth and Gabriel Bortoleto in ninth, so will be aiming to score points for the first time since the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
>Cadillac's Sergio Perez caused the only red flag of the session when his brakes caught fire with five minutes remaining.
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>Even though the cars are narrower this year, qualifying will largely dictate the result of Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix and everything points to a Ferrari front row lockout.
>The big question is whether it will be Hamilton or Leclerc on pole position. Leclerc had the upper hand for most of the day but Hamilton and his side of the garage made several setup changes that paid off and he looked at one with the car.
>Ferrari's main weakness in 2026 has been on the straights, but Monaco is the least power sensitive circuit on the calendar.
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>Sky Sports F1's Bernie Collins said: "From our understanding, Ferrari have a small turbo. That's the first bit that starts to spin as you exit the corners.
>"The small turbo spins up quicker and they get up to speed quicker. That's why their starts are good. In slow-speed corners, you go through a lot of that initial acceleration. That's Ferrari's strength."
>Verstappen was Ferrari's closest challenger throughout the day as he was third in both sessions, making the most of Red Bull's short wheelbase car.
>McLaren and Mercedes brought some unusual aerodynamic parts to Monaco to add downforce to their rear wings, but it has not translated into enough performance to beat Ferrari.
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>Saturday June 6 9.40am: F3 Sprint 11.15am: Monaco GP Practice Three (session starts at 11.30am) 1.10pm: F2 Sprint 2.15pm: Monaco GP Qualifying build-up 3pm: MONACO GP QUALIFYING*
>Sunday June 7 6.50am: F3 Feature Race 8.30am: F2 Feature Race 10.50am: Porsche Supercup 12.30pm: Monaco GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday* 2pm: THE MONACO GRAND PRIX* 4pm: Monaco GP reaction: Chequered Flag*
>Watch the Monaco Grand Prix, the first of six races in eight weeks, live on Sky Sports F1 this weekend. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime