Local favourite Charles Leclerc finished fastest in an eventful first practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix, even after a collision with Lance Stroll.
Leclerc`s best lap was 0.163 seconds quicker than Max Verstappen`s. The session was marked by traffic issues on Monaco`s narrow circuit, with incidents like Lewis Hamilton taking to the air to avoid Kimi Antonelli`s Mercedes at the fast Swimming Pool complex.
Earlier in the session, Leclerc collided with the rear of Stroll`s Aston Martin as they approached the Turn 6 hairpin. Stroll had moved onto the racing line while Leclerc was on a fast lap.
The collision brought out a brief red flag after 10 minutes to clear debris. Ferrari quickly repaired Leclerc`s car, allowing the Monegasque driver to return and set the fastest time, to the delight of the local fans.
Stroll`s car sustained gearbox damage in the incident, forcing him to miss the rest of the session. He is scheduled to meet with the stewards to explain the incident before the second practice session later on Friday.
This result is promising for Ferrari, especially on a circuit where they weren`t widely expected to challenge for the top spot. Leclerc achieved his fastest time relatively early, suggesting potential for even faster laps.
Lando Norris of McLaren secured third place, about three-tenths of a second behind Leclerc. Alex Albon (Williams) took fourth, followed by Oscar Piastri (McLaren) in fifth and George Russell (Mercedes) in sixth.
Lewis Hamilton ended the session in ninth place. He can be relieved to have avoided damage after several close calls with traffic and demonstrated strong pace earlier in the session.
Hamilton`s time was just behind those of Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine). Gasly commented that some drivers needed to `wake up` when dealing with traffic.
Various tyre compounds were tested during the 60-minute session. The introduction of a new rule requiring two mandatory pit stops during Sunday`s race adds an element of unpredictability.
While typically only two different tyre compounds must be used in a race, the new rule mandates that drivers must use at least three sets of tyres over the 78 laps, and the pit stops can be strategically timed at any point.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner commented on the new rule, stating, “The two stop could be a bit of a lottery on Sunday. It depends on Safety Car periods, weather conditions, tactics, and so on.”
He added, “It`s going to keep the strategists busy and introduce another strategic dimension to the race.”
Monaco GP Practice 1 Results
| Driver | Team | Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:11.964 |
| 2) Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.163 |
| 3) Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.326 |
| 4) Alex Albon | Williams | +0.350 |
| 5) Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.378 |
| 6) George Russell | Mercedes | +0.518 |
| 7) Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | +0.570 |
| 8) Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.705 |
| 9) Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +0.726 |
| 10) Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.763 |
| 11) Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.801 |
| 12) Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | +1.015 |
| 13) Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +1.223 |
| 14) Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | +1.268 |
| 15) Oliver Bearman | Ferrari | +1.365 |
| 16) Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +1.430 |
| 17) Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.465 |
| 18) Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | +1.506 |
| 19) Franco Colapinto | Williams | +1.856 |
| 20) Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +3.671 |
Monaco GP Schedule
Friday May 23
F2 Qualifying
F1 Team Bosses` Press Conference
Monaco GP Practice Two (starts at 4pm)
Saturday May 24
F3 Sprint
Monaco GP Practice Three (starts at 11.30am)
F2 Sprint
Monaco GP Qualifying build-up
MONACO GP QUALIFYING (starts at 3pm)
Sunday May 25
F3 Feature Race
F2 Feature Race
Grand Prix Sunday: Monaco GP build-up
The MONACO GRAND PRIX (starts at 2pm)
Wesley Dunham 
Gilbert Pendleton