A major storyline after the first hour of practice at the Monaco Grand Prix?
Traffic.
The combination of massive Formula 1 cars and tight Monte Carlo streets has made overtaking difficult on race day and worked to frustrate several drivers during FP1 on Friday morning.
Including the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Leclerc, the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix winner, was involved in two early incidents, the second of which brought out the red flag. First Leclerc drove off the racing line at Mirabeau, which required a tricky turn to get back on the track:
But the bigger incident for Leclerc came moments later, at the hairpin. Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll, who was in front of Leclerc, jumped back into the racing line after letting a car by him, and Leclerc could not stop in time:
Leclerc’s SF-25 suffered front-end damage, necessitating a trip to the pits to change the front wing. The debris also brought out the red flag, stopping the session momentarily.
Eventually, FP1 would resume, and that is when Hamilton started dealing with traffic issues. The first incident came at the quick Massenet corner when he had to bail on a flying lap due to slower traffic in front of him. But the most notable incident for Hamilton came by the swimming pool when the Ferrari driver came up on Kimi Antonelli in front of him.
Hamilton swerved to avoid the Mercedes, turning hard into the apex curb. That maneuver sent him and his Ferrari airborne:
However, Leclerc was able to shrug off the two incidents, as he topped the timing sheets in FP1. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris rounded out the top three.
As for Hamilton, he finished in P9.
Practice resumes later today with FP2, ahead of the third hour of practice on Saturday. Tomorrow also brings the all-important qualifying session, aarguably the most important qualifying session of the season.
