F1 Monaco GP live commentary and updates - FP1
Live text and updates for F1's Monaco Grand Prix first free practice session
Live Commentary
By: Jake Boxall-Legge
And that's it from FP1 - we'll bring you FP2 a bit later on!
This weekend, don't forget to follow along at Autosport and on Motorsport.com for all the news and reviews. We'll have coverage of F1's Monaco GP, MotoGP's British GP, the Indy 500, and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte - it's a big weekend!
Monaco FP1 complete
Charles Leclerc's line-leading laptime remains in place, with his 1m11.964s keeping him ahead of Verstappen, Norris, Albon, Piastri, Russell, Sainz, Gasly, Hamilton, and Alonso.
Bortoleto ends the session by going deep at Sainte Devote. "Busiest FP1 of my life," adds Isack Hadjar.
Few improvements going on now, as the drivers make the most of further exploratory laps on the softs. Getting into the Monaco rhythm is rather important, especially for all the drivers who have never raced an F1 car here before!
Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Verstappen now improves and goes up to second, but still isn't into the 1m11s yet.
Meanwhile, Hamilton saves his Ferrari from a potentially huge impact - he clips the wall in the second part of the Swimming Pool and leaps over the exit kerb. He just about slows the car down enough to keep the car out of the wall.
Leclerc is currently top of the pops, but reckons there's something "wrong" with the car. His team-mate Lewis Hamilton then has a lock-up out of the tunnel and into the chicane.
Verstappen's now having a punt on softs, and goes up to sixth - behind the two Williamses.
I've been around the hairpin in a taxi before, and it was tight enough then - imagine it in a Formula 1 car!
Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images via Getty Images
Andrea Stella on Red Bull/McLaren form
Leclerc finds a 1m11.964s to go top, not long after reporting that he was "nowhere" with the car - with understeer when turning one way, and oversteer the other.
Sainz had a lock-up at Sainte Devote earlier and backed it out, now Norris has done the same.
Trackside view from Ronald Vording
In years past, Ronald has seen more than his fair share of F1 car underfloors, largely because he had a knack of standing by corners where Sergio Perez sustained an FP1 shunt.
He's not had that this year (so far), but he's got us a few snaps from trackside.
Photo by: Ronald Vording
Photo by: Ronald Vording
FP1 top 10 order after 30 minutes
1. Norris, 2. Leclerc, 3. Hamilton, 4. Piastri, 5. Sainz, 6. Verstappen, 7. Russell, 8. Alonso, 9. Gasly, 10. Tsunoda.
Gasly gets in a scuffle with a Haas and a Sauber into the Nouvelle Chicane, and has a bit of a radio gripe. "They have to wake up, it's Monaco," he says.
Leclerc was up on Norris' time in sector 1, but his pace has dropped in the second sector. He's second, but 0.423s down.
Hamilton does a 1m12.846s to go fastest, but Norris subsequently puts that to the sword with a 1m12.290s - so we're now very close to last year's times.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Speaking of Stroll, he won't return to the circuit for the rest of FP1 - his rear suspension and gearbox requires a change.
Piastri posts a 1m13.031s, while former Stroll-magnet Leclerc does a lap to get up to third.
Quite a spread of tyre compounds too - Verstappen's fifth on the C4, while the C5s and 6s fill the top four places.
Verstappen looked like he was about to go fastest, but just loses a couple of tenths through the final two sectors. Piastri sets a 1m13.508s, but Norris is finding even more time to do a 1m13.036s.
The best time from FP1 last year was Lewis Hamilton's 1m12.169s.
Russell goes up to second on the C6s, and does a 1m14.655s to go second - behind Hamilton's 1m14.576s.
Debated whether to put the full times in as the McLarens made this irrelevant - Piastri does a 1m13.821s, then Norris goes another two tenths quicker - a 1m13.615s. Nothing between him and the Swimming Pool barriers.
FP1 resumes
We're back! Debris cleared, and now we've got cars back on track - Russell and Antonelli kick us off, while Hulkenberg has a bit of a struggle getting out of the garage at full lock.
Feels like that's happened a lot this year - these cars are a bit too long for the smaller pitlanes...
The Leclerc/Stroll clash at the hairpin
The session will resume very shortly, while stewards will investigate the Stroll/Leclerc clash.
Red flag for debris
Crikey - Stroll had pulled over to let someone through, went back onto the racing line, and Leclerc just ended up going into the back of him into the hairpin. Big oof.
It's a red flag to clean up the debris caused by the collision. Stroll's floor will have damage, while Leclerc's had to recover to pick up a new nose.
Norris spends a while stuck behind Colapinto but drops a 1m14.989s. But that's already beaten by Verstappen, then Hamilton on a 1m14.576s.
Meanwhile, Leclerc has hit something and has a broken front wing. Can curses like, come back? Can we ask an exorcist?
Every year, the vista around Portier seems to get more and more cluttered with land 'reclamation' and such. It feels a lot darker around there now, under cover from overhead obstacles...
The times, they are a-changing
Tsunoda's the first below the 1m20s, doing a 1m18.975s. But the times are going to plummet - Verstappen gets into the 1m17s, Piastri does a 1m16.954s, Hamilton follows up with a 1m16.865s, then Hulkenberg does a 1m16.551.
We'll try to keep it to the key laps!
Leclerc should know these streets better than anyone - he certainly does now, given he's locked up at Mirabeau and gone too deep into the corner.
Either that, or he was just about to pop to the shops for a Cornetto - anyone's guess, really.
McLaren with special livery
A reminder that McLaren is running a special livery for this race, inspired by the M7A.
McLaren MCL39 special livery
Photo by: McLaren
FP1 at Monaco begins
And we kick off with the Racing Bulls cars on track first - it's Hadjar, then Lawson - Hulkenberg, Bearman, Ocon, and the McLarens head out.
Five minutes until FP1
Expect thrills, spills, and plenty of traffic around the Circuit de Monaco - who's going to claim the early advantage?
Let's find out.
Monaco tech 'updates' - suspension and wings across the board
Every F1 team has modified front suspension and brake duct packages in Monaco, bespoke for the occasion.
These are designed to cope with their full-lock steering inputs around the Loews/Fairmont/Hotel hairpin. The structural members are largely unchanged, but the fairings are reshaped to allow the wheels enough clearance at full steering lock.
Full-bore rear wings are also available to help gather more downforce, given the low average speeds here.
Alpine pitstop practice
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images via Getty Images
Monaco: Jewel in the crown or glorified parade?
Many believe that Monaco's place on the F1 calendar should never be in doubt - others consider it little more than style over substance. Here's the view of veteran F1 journalist Maurice Hamilton:
F1 Monaco GP - FP1 session updates
Hello everybody, and welcome to our live coverage of F1's opening free practice session in Monaco! The action will be underway in about half an hour, which we'll be building up towards.
Weather's looking pretty good today.
A general view of the Nouvelle Chicane
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images via Getty Images
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