John N
The sound of V6 turbo hybrid engines could be heard reverberating around the narrow streets of Monte Carlo once more as practice for the Monaco Grand Prix got underway.
Here are five things we learned from the two sessions.
- Ferrari Favorite For Pole
Last year, Ferrari had the best package in Monaco—but they failed to convert. This season, they arrive with a title-contending package and, once again, are the ones to beat based on Friday practice.
Will it be different this time?
Home favorite Charles Leclerc led the way in second practice, 0.044s ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz but an impressive 0.379s quicker than the closest Red Bull, who have had the faster package in each of the last two events.
Data shows a slim advantage of 0.22s – but that’s still an edge that makes Ferrari favorites not only take pole – but also lock out the front row. While both drivers admitted the 2022-spec cars were more challenging to tame around Monaco compared to their predecessors, they were convinced that Ferrari was competitive.
The F1-75’s long-run pace was the best, too, albeit 0.08s better than Red Bull’s. As the sunset at Monaco, it was undoubtedly an advantage for Ferrari.
-
Red Bull Chasing Performance
Red Bull has had the advantage in the last three races, finishing first and second in Spain, but they seem off the pace so far in Monaco. They are behind Ferrari in medium-speed corners and on the straights – but they have a slight advantage over Ferrari in slow corners.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez say they have lots of work to do overnight if they want to challenge pole position. We know that Red Bull often struggles on Friday but comes back fighting on Saturday, so we shouldn’t count them out for a win. However, they have a more challenging assignment ahead of them than Ferrari does.
-
Mercedes Lacking on Low Fuel Load
Mercedes struggled to get a good balance in Monaco on Friday, and trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin says they’re struggling with the ride, preventing Lewis Hamilton and George Russell from attacking the lap, especially when running low fuel.
Their long-run pace is more encouraging, they are third – 0.38s per lap slower than Ferrari, but they felt their consistency was good, and they suffered less degradation than some of their rivals. Still, plenty to work on overnight, but their battle looks to be with McLaren for now.
-
McLaren repeats Monaco form.
McLaren weren’t expecting much when they rolled into Monaco last year – and then Lando Norris went and put the car fifth on the grid before converting that into a surprise podium.
Despite that result, they were still cautious heading back this year. But the early signs are positive. Norris was fifth in each practice session, which is even more impressive given he still hasn’t fully recovered from tonsillitis.
They’re around 0.50s off the pace in low-fuel running and fifth in the long runs, with the papaya car second-best in medium corner speed. While Daniel Ricciardo lost most of FP2 following a crash, he and the team remain optimistic they can compete for Q3 solidly, with Norris, the leading contender for best-of-the-rest behind the two Ferraris and Red Bulls.
-
Alpine Is stronger than expected, as Alfa Romeo remains dark horses
Alpine believed Monaco’s tight and twisty nature might push it down the midfield pecking order, and while Fernando Alonso spoke of an inconsistent balance and a need to learn more about the tires, he was generally encouraged by the pace, as he ended up eighth fastest.
According to our data, their one-lap pace is less impressive, with the sixth overall, but they are fourth when it comes to long runs and should be punching to get one if not two cars into Q3 if they make gains overnight.
Alfa Romeo are the hardest to read right now. Many felt they were contenders for the podium heading into this weekend. Valtteri Bottas missed all of the FP1 courtesy of an MGU-K issue and was only 13th in the second session.
But while our low-fuel data makes for grim reading – they’re ninth overall – there’s a feeling inside the team that there is a huge chunk of time left in the car. Alfa Romeo could be dark horses this weekend if they can unlock that.
