Ferrari dominates Monaco Friday as Hamilton leads Leclerc in FP2

Ferrari tightened its grip on the Monaco Grand Prix weekend by locking out the top two positions in second practice. Lewis Hamilton edged teammate Charles Leclerc to cap a dominant Friday for the Scuderia, reinforcing its status as the early favorite around Monte Carlo's narrow streets.

Why it matters:

Ferrari's Friday sweep poses a genuine threat to Mercedes' perfect start to the 2026 season. And with track position deciding everything in the principality, a front-row lockout in qualifying would shatter the Silver Arrows' early dominance.

The details:

• Hamilton set the benchmark at 1m13.026s, finishing 0.111s clear of Leclerc after the duo finally showed their hand on soft tyres.
• Lando Norris' session ended just 12 minutes in when a mechanical issue forced him straight on at the Nouvelle Chicane, triggering a Virtual Safety Car that disrupted early programs.
• Ferrari bided its time before switching to softs, then immediately displaced Max Verstappen's provisional benchmark once it did.
• Running finished five minutes early when Sergio Perez's Cadillac ground to a halt in smoke at Casino Square, bringing out a red flag.
• Behind the Ferrari duo, Verstappen took third for Red Bull ahead of George Russell and championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Isack Hadjar recovered from an FP1 crash to claim sixth.

What's next:

Ferrari will aim to convert its Friday pace into pole position during Saturday's qualifying session. Mercedes must find answers overnight to protect its unbeaten 2026 record from a Scuderia that looks genuinely faster around the principality. McLaren faces a race against time to fix Norris' reliability issue and avoid losing further ground when it matters most.