Charles Leclerc was quickest in Monte Carlo as the local boy put his Ferrari top of the Monaco GP 2025 Free Practice 1 results, just ahead of Max Verstappen in the Red Bull, with Lando Norris third fastest for McLaren in the first practice session of the F1 weekend.
Leclerc looked sharp from the outset, but it didn’t take long for drama to emerge. Within minutes, he locked up and ran deep at Mirabeau, recovering cleanly without damage. But moments later, Leclerc’s luck ran out as he clipped the rear of Stroll’s Aston Martin at the hairpin. Stroll had moved aside to let another car pass and then drifted back onto the racing line, catching Leclerc off guard under braking.
“Come on… I don’t think he was aware about the blue flags,” Leclerc radioed, frustrated. Stroll responded on his own radio: “I didn’t hear you,” confirming a miscommunication with his race engineer. The contact damaged Leclerc’s front wing and ended Stroll’s session due to broken rear suspension and a gearbox change, prompting a red flag for debris.
F1 Monaco GP 2025 FP1 results
Check out the full Monaco GP 2025 Free Practice 1 results from the first practice session in Monte Carlo below.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:11.964 |
| 2 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.163 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.326 |
| 4 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +0.350 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.378 |
| 6 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.518 |
| 7 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +0.570 |
| 8 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.705 |
| 9 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.726 |
| 10 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.763 |
| 11 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.801 |
| 12 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | +1.015 |
| 13 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +1.223 |
| 14 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | +1.268 |
| 15 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.365 |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.430 |
| 17 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.465 |
| 18 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | +1.506 |
| 19 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +1.856 |
| 20 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +3.671 |
Verstappen shadows Leclerc as traffic and chaos set the tone
Once running resumed, the session intensified as teams moved into qualifying simulations. Lando Norris initially went fastest with a 1:12.290 on softs, before Leclerc responded with a 1:11.964, a time that ultimately topped the session. Still, the Monegasque’s mood wasn’t entirely buoyant, voicing concerns about Ferrari’s car balance: “We are nowhere,” he said over the radio, hinting at underlying setup challenges.
Max Verstappen, second on the timesheets, wasn’t thrilled either. After getting caught behind slower traffic through the Nouvelle Chicane, he aborted a flying lap and voiced his displeasure over team radio. Elsewhere, Pierre Gasly and Oscar Piastri also encountered congestion as the drivers jostled for space—an early preview of the traffic trouble expected in Saturday’s Qualifying.
More from the Singapore GP
Catch up with Total Motorsport's latest Singapore GP coverage, including Max Verstappen's victory at Marina Bay, Ferrari's costly strategy gamble, the full race classification, and the updated 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings.
Behind the top three of Leclerc, Verstappen, and Norris, Alex Albon impressed in fourth for Williams, ahead of Piastri and George Russell, who rounded out the top six for Mercedes. Carlos Sainz backed up Albon’s effort with seventh, followed by Gasly, Lewis Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso, who carried the flag alone for Aston Martin after Stroll’s retirement.
Kimi Antonelli was the quickest rookie in 11th, narrowly ahead of Nico Hulkenberg, Isack Hadjar, and Yuki Tsunoda, who lamented being held up during his final soft-tyre run. Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon placed 15th and 16th, followed by Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto, and the sidelined Stroll at the bottom of the standings.
