#F1 #MonacoGP #FP1: @CharlesLeclerc quickest ahead of @Max33Verstappen, @LandoNorris.

Leclerc Monaco GP FP1 – Home favourite Charles Leclerc topped the opening FP1 session at the Monaco GP ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris who completed the top three.

Leclerc posted the session-topping benchmark of a 1:11.964 on the C6 red side-walled softer compounds despite suffering front wing damage from a collision with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll earlier on and was 0.163 seconds clear of Verstappen whilst Norris was a further 0.326 seconds adrift of the Monegasque driver in third.

Drivers hit the Circuit De Monaco for the first time with a mix all the different compounds for the weekend, the C4’s, C5’s and C6’s.

RB’s Liam Lawson was the first to register the benchmark of a 1:23.890 and was beaten by team-mate Isack Hadjar’s effort of a 1:22.777.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc brought out a brief yellow flag at Mirabeau but managed to get out and resume.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri then posted a 1:16.954 to go quickest as Ferrari’s Sir Lewis Hamilton slotted into the P1 spot on a 1:16.865 and then was quickly beaten by Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg who set a 1:16.551.

Leclerc then moved to the top with a 1:15.249 and then was rapidly ousted by the McLaren duo of Piastri and Lando Norris who briefly moved to the top.

Then Imola GP winner last time out Max Verstappen then briefly sat at the top before Hamilton put his SF-25 back on top with a 1:14.576 as the track continued to rubber in.

Ferrari’s Leclerc then damaged his front wing after running into the back of Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll at the Lowes Hairpin.

Replays showed Stroll move right as Leclerc approached the hairpin and the latter locked his brakes and ran into the back of the AMR25.

The red flag was brought out to clear the debris as a result of the front wing damage.

When the session resumed following a seven minute delay, Mercedes’ George Russell emerged as the first driver back out on track using the C6 red side-walled softer compounds.

Russell, then moved to second to be 0.079 seconds off Hamilton’s benchmark.

Following him, Piastri set two purples in the final two sectors to jump to the top on a 1:13.821 until team-mate Norris set a purple sector three to go 0.206 quicker and be P1 with a 1:13.615.

Verstappen was next with three personal bets on his C4 hard tyre stint, moving into third to be 0.282 seconds off Piastri’s 1:13.908 who returned to the top just before the Dutchman’s flyer.

Leclerc then jumped in-front of Verstappen with his 1:13.826 effort.

Norris once again pipped team-mate Piastri at the top with a 1:13/036 to be 0.472 seconds clear of the championship leader.

Hamilton on his C5 yellow mediums then took third place before Piastri reclaimed top spot on a 1:13.031.

Leclerc then slotted into third once more on his C6 softs to be 0.125 seconds adrift of Piastri’s effort with 35 minutes remaining on the clock.

Aston Martin reported that Stroll’s FP1 session was over early due to rear suspension and gearbox damage following the contact with Leclerc. The Canadian’s gearbox was being changed.

Stroll’s incident with Leclerc was currently under investigation by the stewards.

Hamilton was next on his flyer with a purple sector one and two personal bests to go fastest on 1:12.846 on the mediums, this ended briefly as Norris on the softs once again took P1 setting a 1:12.290 to go over half-a-second quicker than his fellow British-compatriot.

Leclerc with a purple first sector and two personal best saw the home-favourite move into second place to be 0.423 seconds off of Norris’s benchmark.

With less than half-an-hour of the opening session remaining, the majority of drivers returned to the pits to adjust their setups and put on a fresh set of rubber.

Mercedes Andrea Kimi Antonelli was next on his flying lap whilst the majority were in the pits and the Italian with two personal bests remained in 16^th.

Leclerc then improved once more to go within 0.193 seconds of Norris’s top time and stayed in second place on the time-sheets.

Leclerc was on another flying lap on the softs with a purple opening sector and two personal bests to clinch P1 in the order with a 1:11.964.

Replays showed Norris suffer a lock-up into St. Devote as did earlier Williams’ Carlos Sainz who was sitting in third at this stage of proceedings.

Sainz’s Williams team-mate Alexander Albon then jumped into fifth with two personal bests on a 1:12.819.

Aston Martin’s sole runner in the session in Fernando Alonso then moved into seventh in the order following three personal bests to be 1.051 seconds off Leclerc’s benchmark time.

Albon was next with three personal bests to go fourth whilst Leclerc was unable to improve on his next hot-lap.

With a personal best middle sector Sainz then jumped into fourth to be 0.0.582 seconds off Leclerc’s session-topper.

Verstappen was then on for his flyer on the C6 softer compounds and moved to sixth with three personal bests to be 0.641 adrift of Leclerc.

Russell then planted his Silver Arrow to fourth and then Verstappen then slotted into second place to be 0.286 off Leclerc’s benchmark.

Hamilton suffered a wild moment flying over the sausage kerbs through the fast swimming pool complex and managed to continue on unscathed.

Verstappen then improved with mess than five minutes remaining to remain second quickest and be within 0.163 seconds off Leclerc’s session-topping benchmark.

Leclerc, Verstappen and Norris were the session’s top three as all drivers ran long runs at the end.

Albon was fourth quickest ahead of championship leader Piastri in the other MCL39 McLaren as Russell took sixth for Mercedes.

Sainz placed seventh in the other FW47 Williams as Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, Ferrari’s Hamilton and Aston Martin’s Alonso rounded out the top ten.

brought up the rear. You can see the full Formula 1 Tag Heuer Grand Prix De Monaco 2025 Free Practice 1 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results/2025/races/1261/monaco/practice/1

2025 F1 World Championship Standings