First Free Practice Results 2024 Monaco F1 GP

Event: Monaco F1 Grand Prix
Track: Monaco Circuit

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15 during the Monaco GP at Circuit de Monaco on Friday May 24, 2024 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. (Photo by Andy Hone / LAT Images)

Weather: dry  20.0°C
Tarmac: dry  36.1°C
Humidity: 70%
Wind: 3.6 km/h South

Hamilton Sets the Pace in Opening Practice at Monaco Grand Prix

The picturesque streets of Monte-Carlo played host to the first practice session of the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton topping the timesheets in a session full of drama and intrigue. The eighth round of the 2024 Formula 1 season saw Mercedes' Hamilton clock the fastest time, narrowly ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri and his teammate George Russell.

Mercedes Shows Strong Early Pace

Hamilton's best lap of 1:12.295, set on the soft compound tyres, was just enough to edge out the impressive Piastri by 0.029 seconds. Russell followed closely in third, making it a promising start for Mercedes, who appear to have brought a competitive package to the tight and twisty Monaco circuit.

Red Bull's Conservative Approach

Red Bull, the team to beat this season, opted for a different strategy during FP1. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez focused on setup and longer runs, with Verstappen running two sets of medium tyres and Perez alternating between mediums and hards. This strategy saw them lower down the order, but they are expected to reveal their true pace in the later sessions.

Drama and Incidents

Monaco's narrow streets once again proved to be a challenge. Zhou Guanyu had an early incident, clipping the wall and damaging his front wing, which brought out the red flags temporarily. Charles Leclerc also had a moment, picking up debris from Zhou's incident and later baulking Logan Sargeant, much to the Williams driver's frustration.

Traffic Woes

As always in Monaco, traffic was a significant issue. Yuki Tsunoda and Logan Sargeant both voiced their frustrations over the radio, highlighting the difficulties of finding clear track space. This problem is expected to escalate during qualifying, where managing traffic will be crucial for securing a good grid position.

McLaren's Competitive Start

McLaren's special livery, a tribute to Ayrton Senna, seemed to bring good fortune. Both Norris and Piastri showed strong form, with Norris also setting competitive lap times. Their recent upgrades appear to be paying off, and they could be serious contenders this weekend.

Alpine's Troubles

Alpine had a challenging session with Pierre Gasly suffering from a power unit issue early on, which restricted him to just six laps. The team managed to get him back out briefly, but significant time was lost, potentially affecting his confidence and setup work ahead of qualifying.

The top 10 at the halfway mark was:

1. Leclerc (1:13.132) - H
2. Hamilton (+0.165s) - M
3. Verstappen (+0.344s) - M
4. Sainz (+0.362s) - H
5. Tsunoda (+0.480s) - M
6. Russell (+0.554s) - M
7. Pérez (+0.778s) - H
8. Norris (+0.802s) - H
9. Magnussen (+0.879s) - M
10. Albon (+0.916s) - M

The quickest sector times during this first practice session were:

• Sector 1: 18.791 sec by Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari SF-24.
• Sector 2: 33.942 sec by Oscar Piastri with the McLaren MCL38.
• Sector 3: 19.228 sec by Lewis Hamilton with the Mercedes W15.

Last year the quickest lap time of FP1 was a 1:13,372 min, driven by Carlos Sainz with the Ferrari.

Looking Ahead

As the teams head into the second practice session later today, all eyes will be on Red Bull to see if they can reclaim their dominant form. Meanwhile, Mercedes and McLaren will look to build on their strong starts, and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will aim to overcome his early mishaps to deliver a strong performance on home soil.

The second practice session is scheduled to begin at 17:00 local time, where more answers will emerge regarding the true pecking order for the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix.

Stay tuned for further updates as the weekend unfolds in the glamorous and unpredictable setting of Monte-Carlo.

FP1 Times Table 2024 Monaco GP

✅ Check out our 2024 Monaco F1 Grand Prix Preview.

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