In the narrow streets of Monte Carlo, Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time on Friday afternoon in the second free practice for the Monaco GP, just ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc. Under the shining sun, Max Verstappen had to settle for third place. World champion Lando Norris, in turn, made it a quick one.

For reigning world champion Lando Norris, FP2 was over in less than fifteen minutes. As he exited the tunnel, all functions of his McLaren failed. The Brit neatly parked his car in a safe spot and got out safely. The scene did lead to a virtual safety car. At that moment, the fastest time was held by Norris’ compatriot Lewis Hamilton (1.13,729), with Max Verstappen also on the medium compound.

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While the session ended prematurely for Norris after fifteen minutes, it was just beginning for Verstappen’s teammate Isack Hadjar. The Red Bull driver thanked his team over the radio for the repair work, which was much needed after his crash in FP1 earlier in the day. He will not achieve overly impressive times.

Qualifying Simulations

Roughly halfway through the practice, several teams began their qualifying simulations with an eye on Saturday’s qualifying. This also applied to Verstappen, who had switched to soft tires. With his second fast run, he placed himself at the top of the timesheet in 1:13.467. A little later, he improved again, mainly thanks to a superior third sector, to 1:13.194. Shortly after, Lewis Hamilton and home favorite Charles Leclerc, representing Ferrari, went even faster. Behind Verstappen, championship leader Kimi Antonelli and his Mercedes teammate George Russell recorded the fourth and fifth fastest times respectively. In any case, it appears that Verstappen is in a better position than the team had initially expected.

In the final phase, Franco Colapinto’s Alpine hit the guardrail a little too hard, resulting in significant damage to his car. With five minutes left on the clock, Sergio Pérez literally provided a fiery end to the second practice when the brakes of his Cadillac caught fire and the marshals had to get to work with the fire extinguishers.