#F1 #MonacoGP #FP2: @CharlesLeclerc ends day 0.038s quicker than @OscarPiastri

Leclerc Monaco GP FP2 – Home favourite Charles Leclerc ended the day as he started it topping the time-sheets in FP2 at the Monaco GP pipping championship leader Oscar Piastri as the former’s Ferrari team-mate Sir Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top three.

Leclerc posted the session-topping benchmark of a 1:11.355 on the C6 red side-walled softer tyre and was a slim 0.038 seconds clear of second-placed Piastri whilst Hamilton was a further 0.105 seconds off his team-mate in third.

Racing Bull’s Liam Lawson was the first to lead the pack on-track with the yellow-marked C5 mediums.

The Kiwi was the first to register the benchmark of a 1:16.876 as Haas’s Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon slotted in behind. Ferrari’s Sir Lewis Hamilton then hit the top with a 1:14.952 then it was rapidly beaten by team-mate Leclerc’s 1:14.904.

Lawson then jumped back to the top with a 1:14.237 then was toppled by Williams’ Alexander Albon’s 1:13.361 before both McLaren’s of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri shot to the head of the time-sheets with the latter P1 over the former.

Piastri’s top effort was a1:13.068 and was then ousted by Red Bull’s Verstappen who set a 1:12.922 as the top eight began with the C5 medium compounds in the opening proceedings.

The first red flag was brought out with 53 minutes left on the clock after RB’s Isack Hadjar hit the wall and suffered a right-left puncture due to hitting the wall.

The Frenchman managed to get his VCARB02 racing entry running and slowly travelled back to the pits.

Replays showed Hadjar hit the inside wall of the Nouvelle Chicane after turning early and tapped the wall with his front-left which then sent the rear-left into that same wall causing the puncture.

When the session resumed with 47 minutes left on the clock, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso lead the field out and moved up into fourth to be 0.277 seconds off Verstappen’s benchmark.

Piastri then reclaimed top spot on a 1:12.548 as Mercedes’ George Russell slotted into second and 0.188 seconds off the Australian.

The other Silver Arrow of Andrea Kimi Antonelli then trounced his team-mate to take second and be 0.039 seconds off as Leclerc was next with three purples to set a 1:12.103 to be 0.445 seconds quicker.

Straight after Leclerc’s flyer, Piastri locked his brakes into St. Devote and went front on into the barriers and losing his front wing bringing out the second red flag of the session with 41 minutes remaining.

Piastri managed to get his MCL39 racer out of the barriers and bring it back to the pits.

When the session resumed with 36 minutes left after Piastri’s front wing was cleared, Williams’ Sainz moved up to ninth as his team-mate Albon jumped into sixth in the classification.

Aston Martin’s Alonso was next on his flyer with the C6 softs taking two personal bests and a purple middle to go quickest on a 1:12.087 whilst Leclerc improved on his hard tyre to be only 0.016 seconds off the Spaniard and still in second.

Hamilton then took P1with the mediums on a 1:12.025 and a slim 0.062 seconds in—front of Alonso.

Russell (1:12.367) and Norris (1:12.394) then slotted into fourth and fifth respectively as Bearman moved up into sixth splitting the McLaren’s.

Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg with three personal bests moved up into fourth as Alonso reclaimed P1 with a 1:11.890 and quickest by 0.135 seconds over Hamilton.

Replays showed Leclerc run over debris as he exited the tunnel on the run down towards the Nouvelle Chicane, which appeared to be from Ocon’s VF-25 racer.

Leclerc set two opening purple sectors to be back on top with a 1:11.414 and 0.476 seconds up over Alonso.

Albon then moved up into third to be 0.504 seconds adrift of Leclerc’s effort with his qualifying simulation stint on the softer rubber.

Leclerc once again improved his time with a 1:11.355 as Norris slotted into second to be 0.482 off the Ferrari driver.

Verstappen placed his Honda-powered RB21 racer in seventh on his hot-lap with three personal bests.

Hamilton with his two personal bests took third place in the order to be 0.486 seconds off his time-topping team-mate.

Verstappen could only take seventh from his three personal best to be 0.713 seconds off Leclerc splitting the two Williams of Albon and Sainz.

Russell then moved up into seventh as Leclerc improved on his sector one time but could not overall.

RB’s Lawson then jumped into third place on his flying tour with a 1:11.823 as Antonelli split Albon and Verstappen in seventh place in the order.

Hamilton then improved on his next run to be 0.105 seconds off team-mate Leclerc in second.

The majority then returned back to the pits for the final 15 minutes of proceedings to prepare for their traditional long race run data gathering.

Piastri with a purple second one and personal best sector two jumped into third place of the classification to be 0.318 seconds adrift of Leclerc in third.

Piastri improved once more with another quick lap to be 0.038 seconds off Leclerc.

Replays showed Hadjar suffer a puncture again after this time hitting the wall exiting St. Devote clipping the wall with his rear left before his front left bounced to pick up the debris.

Verstappen with seven minutes left got stuck at Mirabeau after almost locking up, the four-time world champion managed to get his car in reverse and continued on.

The session ended with Leclerc and Hamilton P1 and P3 as Piastri split the duo in second.

Norris was next in fourth place as RB’s Lawson and Hadjar followed in fifth and sixth respectively.

Alonso took seventh as Albon and Antonelli finished the day eighth and ninth whilst Verstappen rounded out the top ten.

You can see the full Formula 1 Tag Heuer Grand Prix De Monaco 2025 Free Practice 2 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results/2025/races/1261/monaco/practice/2

2025 F1 World Championship Standings