Leclerc fastest in second practice for his home Monaco Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari topped the second practice session for his home Formula One Monaco Grand Prix on Friday, while champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull had to settle for fourth.
Leclerc clocked the fastest time of 1 minute 11.278 seconds to outpace the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton by 0.188s. The British driver topped the first practice earlier.
Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin completed the top three and finished ahead of Verstappen.
The Dutchman improved from 11th in the early session, but still complained about the car conditions.
"I'm jumping like a kangaroo, man. I'm getting headaches, it's crazy," he told his engineer on the radio.
Leclerc has eyes on home success
Leclerc will be hoping to finally win the most prestigious grand prix in his birth and home town. He has never made the podium in a F1 race there despite two pole positions in 2021 and 2022.
The Monegasque missed the 2021 race owing to a driveshaft failure just before the race and had to settle for fourth in 2022 after a poor pit stop.
He might be on a race against time to win his home grand prix. The iconic street circuit has been on the F1 calendar since the start in 1950 but the deal expires after the 2025 edition amid an uncertain future and speculation it may only be held every other year.
Verstappen tops the drivers' championship 48 points ahead of Leclerc. Third practice and qualifying are on Saturday ahead of Sunday's showdown.
The qualifying session in Monaco is one of the most important of the season. In the narrow street circuit, where overtaking is very difficult, a first place in qualifying usually also means a first place in the race.
Remembering Senna
McLaren are running a special livery in Monaco inspired by the iconic green and yellow helmet worn by Ayrton Senna to honour the late three-time F1 champion.
Senna died 30 years ago during a race in Imola, Italy on May 1. Throughout the month, other teams and drivers have remembered the Brazilian.
Last week in Imola at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, former F1 driver Sebastian Vettel organized a track walk and drove Senna's 1993 McLaren car in an emotional tribute before the race.
