24/05/2024
NEWS STORY
Ahead of today's second practice session the air temperature is 20 degrees C, while the track temperature is 32 degrees. There is a 20% chance of rain over the next hour.
This being Monaco, where downforce is at a premium, almost all the upgrades are circuit specific.
Red Bull has a new Rear Wing, Beam Wing and Front Corner while Mercedes has a new Rear Wing, Floor Body and Front Wing and Ferrari a new Rear Wing.
McLaren has a new Rear Wing and Beam Wing, while Aston Martin has a new Rear Wing and Beam Wing, and Alpine a new Front Wing, Front Suspension, Rear Wing, Beam Wing and Halo.
Williams has a new Rear Wing, Beam Wing Circuit and Front Corner, RB a new Front Suspension, Front Corner, Rear Wing and Beam Wing, Stake a new Rear Wing, Rear Wing Endplate, Beam Wing, Front Suspension and Front Corner, and Haas a new Front Suspension, Front Corner, Cooling Louvres, Rear Wing and Beam Win.
Lewis Hamilton set the pace earlier, though there is some doubt over engine mode. That said, teammate George Russell was third quickest.
Sandwiched between the pair was Oscar Piastri, while Lando Norris was fourth.
Charles Leclerc was fifth, however the Ferrari driver was one of several not to run the softs - unlike the leading four. Others to avoid the red-banded rubber, and therefore not reveal their true pace, were Carlos Sainz and the Red Bull duo.
Both RB drivers looked impressive, particularly Tsunoda who appeared in the Top Three on a number of occasions.
The only red flag was brought about when Zhou clouted the barriers and deposited debris on the track.
Ahead of the green flag there is already a queue of eager beavers... led by this morning's pace-setter Hamilton, ahead of Magnussen, Russell, Sargeant and Hulkenberg.
As more drivers head out, most are on mediums though Verstappen and Ricciardo are on hards, as are Piastri and Tsunoda, so Red Bull and McLaren trying alternate strategies.
Magnussen posts a benchmark 16.766, but this is soon beaten by Perez (16.631).
No sooner has the Dane retaken the top spot with a 14.636 than Hamilton responds with a 14.080.
Gasly posts an exploratory 15.316, the Frenchman having missed most of this morning's session with a wastegate issue.
Verstappen goes top with a 13.775, ahead of Russell and Hamilton, only to be demoted when Leclerc crosses the line at 13.404.
Hamilton goes quickest again, the seven-time champ stopping the clock at 13.309.
Verstappen responds with a 13.265, the Dutchman on hards while Hamilton is on mediums.
A 12.372 sees Leclerc go top as Russell goes fourth, ahead of Norris, Stroll, Alonso and Ocon.
Sainz improves to fifth with a 13.278.
After 14 minutes, Sargeant, who had a brush with the barriers earlier, makes the switch to softs.
"Guys, this vibration braking into Turn 11, it's insane at the moment," says Russell, "I can't hold on to the steering wheel." Nonetheless, he improves with a 13.249.
On the hards, Piastri goes second (12.950), as Verstappen complains that he's "jumping like a kangaroo". "I'm getting headaches, it's crazy!" he warns.
Leclerc improves with a 12.125 then again with an 11.573, as Sainz goes fourth (12.738).
Twenty minutes in and there's a bit of a lull, with only Sainz, Albon and Zhou on track.
In the Mercedes garage there's work going on at the front of Russell's car.
Albon goes second on the softs (12.452), as Leclerc and Verstappen switch to the red-banded rubber, as do a number of other drivers.
Sargeant goes sixth but is demoted when Perez (softs) goes second with a 12.336, albeit still 0.763s off Leclerc's medium pace.
Leclerc crosses the line at 11.278, much to the delight of the crowd. Verstappen can only manage an 11.813, 0.5435s off the pace.
"The ride is horrendous," says Perez, "I cannot see the apex of Turn 3 from the front."
Alonso goes third and Stroll fourth, as Leclerc looks set to improve yet again. However, having gone quickest in the opening sectors he aborts the lap in S3.
"****, I hit the wall there," admits Verstappen after an encounter at Turn 7. He subsequently pits. Piastri and Tsunoda have also had moments.
Alonso improves to second with an 11.753, as Norris goes fourth, ahead of Stroll, Perez, Sainz, Albon, Piastri and Hamilton.
Hulkenberg improves to tenth with a 12.569, while, despite going quickest in S1, Leclerc has a scrappy S2 and S3.
"Carlos wants a three minute gap in Monaco," complains Alonso, as teammate Stroll goes sixth with a 12.062.
An 11.466 see Hamilton go second - just 0.188s off Leclerc's pace - as Norris has a massive lock-up heading into the Nouveau Chicane.
"I don't have one clear lap," complains Leclerc as Ricciardo fails to improve on 15th. That said, RB has yet to run the softs, likewise the Stake pair and Piastri.
Attention begins to turn to Sunday as the long runs get underway.
Tsunoda has been noted for impeding Verstappen, as Gasly has a close encounter with the barriers.
Leclerc heads down the escape road at Ste Devote after carrying too much speed into the corner.
Drivers continues to push to the limit, kissing the barriers as much as they dare.
"Keep an eye on the steering torque, something feels weird," says Russell. The Briton subsequently pits, as does Stroll.
The tyres appear to be holding up quite well, with Verstappen's hards and Albon's mediums both holding up after around 20 laps.
That said... "2023 all over again," says Albon, "the car is just eating the tyres." Leclerc is equally unhappy.
The session ends. Leclerc is quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Alonso, Verstappen, Norris, Sainz, Stroll, Perez, Albon and Russell.
Tsunoda is eleventh, ahead of Piastri, Magnussen, Ocon, Hulkenberg, Ricciardo, Gasly, Sargeant, Bottas and Zhou.
So, while, much like last weekend, Red Bull appears to be struggling, along with McLaren and Ferrari it appears we might see Mercedes added to the mix.
That said, other than Hamilton, Leclerc has almost half-a-second advantage, with his pursuers spread out quite evenly.
Interesting times.
Check out our Friday gallery from Monaco here.