Lewis Hamilton led the first practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix, with Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu causing a red flag when he collided with the wall and spread debris. Zhou lost control of his car at the first corner, causing damage to his front wing and spreading debris across the track. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was next to pass and suffered minimal damage to his floor after running over a piece of the Sauber car. The session resumed with Hamilton still in the lead, closely followed by McLaren driver Oscar Piastri.
Mercedes had a strong start to the weekend, with George Russell securing the third fastest time, just behind Hamilton and Piastri. The team brought specific updates for the Monaco circuit, including a modified rear wing, floor, and front wing. McLaren was expected to be a strong contender, with Lando Norris setting the fourth fastest time. Leclerc, despite his earlier incident, managed to return to the track and set the fifth fastest time without using the soft tires. His teammate Carlos Sainz finished in 10th place.
However, Red Bull faced difficulties during the session. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez had issues and failed to make it into the top 10. Verstappen complained that the car was unstable and loose over the track’s imperfections, while Perez had traction problems and even punctured a tire. Aston Martin had a better session, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll securing sixth and seventh place, respectively. Both drivers set their times on soft tires. Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo also made it into the top 10.
The pilots from Sauber, Haas, and Williams occupied the bottom half of the classification, with Valtteri Bottas leading that group. Esteban Ocon, who achieved a podium in Monaco last year, had a slow start this year, finishing in 18th place. He complained that the front of the car was bouncing in the corners. His teammate, Pierre Gasly, had an even more challenging session, facing power unit issues and finishing at the bottom of the timing sheet.
