Charles Leclerc made it two-from-two on Friday in Monte Carlo as he topped FP2 at the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix, narrowly beating McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just 0.038 seconds. Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top three in what was a dramatic Free Practice 2 session marked by two red flag stoppages and several incidents.
Leclerc was at the heart of the action once again in FP2 on the tight and twisty Monaco circuit, lighting up the timesheets during soft-tyre runs and briefly holding the three fastest laps of the session midway through the hour. His benchmark time of 1:11.355 came just after the halfway point and remained unbeaten until the chequered flag dropped.
Red flags disrupt the rhythm in Monte Carlo
The second practice session didn’t run smoothly. Isack Hadjar brought out the first red flag less than 10 minutes in after tapping the wall at the Nouvelle Chicane. The Racing Bulls rookie limped back to the pits with a puncture, visibly frustrated after cutting his run short.
Shortly after the track returned to green, Piastri moved to the top of the timing screens – but his progress was soon halted. The Australian clipped the wall at Sainte Devote, bringing out the second red flag of the session. Fortunately, damage to the McLaren was minimal, and Piastri was able to return to the circuit after quick repairs and resume his soft-tyre run to grab second.
Leclerc reclaimed top spot during that phase, while Hamilton delivered a strong performance for Ferrari, ending up just over a tenth off his teammate’s time. Lando Norris followed in fourth, ahead of an impressive run by Liam Lawson, who slotted into fifth for Racing Bulls.
Despite his earlier drama, Hadjar recovered to sixth, although he suffered another brush with the barriers later in the session at Turn 1, damaging his rear suspension.
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Fernando Alonso looked solid in seventh for Aston Martin, while Andrea Kimi Antonelli showed promise in his first Monaco Grand Prix weekend by placing eighth for Mercedes.
Max Verstappen, who remained relatively under the radar throughout Friday, ended up ninth. The reigning world champion voiced his frustration over team radio during one of his hot laps, saying traffic through the Swimming Pool section was “so dangerous.” He was just 0.004s ahead of teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who closed out the top 10.
Further down the order, George Russell ended the session in 12th, with Carlos Sainz the leading Williams in 13th. Several drivers, including Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon, were summoned by stewards for potential red flag infractions.
The Monaco Grand Prix weekend continues with FP3 on Saturday at 12:30 local time, before qualifying – one of the most crucial sessions of the year – kicks off at 16:00.
