Monaco Grand Prix: Max Verstappen fastest in second practice as Carlos Sainz crashes

Max Verstappen finished fastest in practice for the Monaco Grand Prix as Ferrari's Carlos Sainz crashed out. Verstappen edged out home favourite Charles Leclerc by just 0.065 seconds with his Ferrari team-mate Sainz third. Fernando Alonso finished fourth for Aston Martin ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.

As Verstappen raced to the top of the charts, Sainz's running ended with 17 minutes remaining. The Spaniard, who was earlier quickest in the first session, clipped the entry barrier into the swimming pool chicane, damaging his right-front suspension, before heading straight into the tyre wall on the opposite side of the track.

"I crashed," said the Spaniard. "I'm sorry." The session was suspended for six minutes as Sainz's wounded Ferrari was removed from the circuit.

After giving up on this season's car on the eve of the opening race, Mercedes have arrived for the sixth round in the sun-cooked principality with a new concept.

The Silver Arrows have abandoned their controversial zero-sidepod design and introduced a new front suspension, new floor and cooling system in a change of development on a car which has contributed to the longest losing streak of Hamilton's career.

On Sunday, it will be 539 days since Hamilton last stood on the top step of the podium at the penultimate round of the contentious 2021 season in Saudi Arabia. However, on the evidence of practice, the seven-time world champion appears no closer to the front.

Hamilton ended the opening running in third place, but he had dropped to sixth by the conclusion of the day, half-a-second back. George Russell was a disappointing 12th in the other Mercedes, seven tenths adrift

Verstappen and team-mate Sergio Perez are the only men to have won a race this year and their rapid Red Bull is not necessarily suited to the narrow and slow-speed confines of the unique Monte Carlo configuration. But, despite Perez managing only seventh in practice, Verstappen's pace on Friday suggests he might yet be the driver to beat for the remainder of the weekend.

In first practice, the red flags were deployed in the closing minutes when Alex Albon lost control of his Williams through the opening Sainte Devote corner. The London-born Thai slammed into the wall, but, despite admitting to banging his knees, he emerged relatively unscathed from the 100mph accident.

The same could however not be said for Albon's Williams following significant damage to the left-hand side of his machine. He returned to the track with 11 minutes of second practice remaining following a three-hour repair job by his team.

PA Sport

Monaco Grand Prix, Friday practice: as it happened

05:26 PM

Qualifying begins at 3pm tomorrow

So I will be back for that from around 2pm. It is looking like it might be a good one.

05:04 PM

FP2 - Classification

1. VER 1:12.462

2. LEC +0.065

3. SAI +0.107

4. ALO +0.220

5. NOR +0.444

6. HAM +0.498

7. PER +0.529

8. BOT +0.588

9. GAS +0.627

10. OCO +0.700

11. STR +0.723

12. RUS +0.729

13. ZHO +0.892

14. MAG +0.995

15. HUL +1.058

16. TSU +1.179

17. DEV +1.201

18. PIA +1.211

19. ALB +1.755

20. SAR +1.776

Albon does move up off the bottom in the end, just 0.021s faster than his team-mate.

05:02 PM

FP2 ends - Verstappen ahead of Leclerc by 0.065s

Carlos Sainz, who crashed and brought out a red flag, is third 0.107s off the fastest time.

05:01 PM

FP2 - That is a standout time from Lando Norris

The McLaren driver is in fifth, 0.444s off Verstappen, faster than Hamitlon, Perez and Stroll. He has been fairly evenly matched with Piastri over one lap this year but he's 0.8s ahead of him. Always a difficult circuit for rookies, thus one. Takes time. Albon has not improved his position from 20th but has improved his lap time. 2.053s off Verstappen.

04:55 PM

FP2 - Into the final five minutes

The times are unlikely to change from now on, although Albon is beginning a hot lap on the soft tyres so will probably make some progress from 20th.

04:53 PM

FP2 - Russell outside of the top 10 again

It didn't work for him in the earlier session and it's not working for him now. Not totally sure of his exact circumstances in this session but he's a couple of tenths or so away from Lewis Hamilton.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris is told to abort his run and come back into the garage which he does.

04:51 PM

Watch: Sainz crashes into the barriers

04:50 PM

FP2 - Albon makes it out

He will get about 11 minutes of running if there are no further stoppages. Imagine they will have just fuelled him for that.

04:50 PM

FP2 - Session resumes

Here's the top 10 and gaps as they get going again.

1. VER 1:12.462

2. LEC +0.065

3. SAI +0.107

4. ALO +0.220

5. NOR +0.444

6. HAM +0.498

7. PER +0.529

8. BOT +0.588

9. GAS +0.627

10. OCO +0.700

04:45 PM

FP2 - Yep, Sainz thwacks the barrier with his front-right

It breaks and he can't turn into the corner and careers into the barriers, bringing the session to a halt.

04:44 PM

FP2 - Tsunoda punctures his front left on the barrier at the Nouvelle Chicane

But now there's a red flag because Carlos Sainz is in the wall at the Swimming Pool chicane. 

Not a huge crash and has probably clipped the barrier on entry and put him off line and sliding into the barriers. Might have broken his front-right on initial impact or maybe on secondary impact.

04:43 PM

FP2 - Verstappen goes fastest again

It's a 1:12.462, dislodging Sainz. Sainz's team-mate then dislodges him from second, going 0.065s to go just behind Verstappen.

Alonso in fourth 0.220s off Verstappen.

04:42 PM

Still not sure about this McLaren livery

04:38 PM

FP2 - Order after those soft-tyre runs

1. SAI 1:12.569

2. ALO +0.113

3. VER +0.168

4. LEC +0.326

5. NOR +0.337

6. PER +0.422

7. HAM +0.430

8. BOT +0.481

9. GAS +0.520

10. OCO +0.593

11. STR +0.616

12. RUS +0.622

13. MAG +0.888

14. HUL +0.951

15. ZHO +0.971

16. TSU +1.072

17. DEV +1.094

18. PIA +1.104

19. SAR +1.669

20. ALB (NO TIME)

04:35 PM

FP2 - Verstappen only third

0.168s slower than Sainz. Wonder if that correction in the middle sector cost him that much?

Perez, his team-mate, then moves fifth, 0.422s off Sainz's time.

Hmmm. I can't imagine that Red Bull are sandbagging that much. Still some work to do, but Verstappen isn't too far off.

04:34 PM

FP2 - Verstappen with the fastest first sector time

A bit of adjustment coming into the tunnel... he's lost time in the middle sector, 0.089s slower than Sainz was at the same point.

Where will he finish? It looks a committed lap.

04:33 PM

FP2 - Leclerc a fair way off Sainz's time

Nearly four-tenths off his team-mate and slower than Alonso. Hmmm. Curious. Gasly has popped up into fifth ahead of his Alpine team-mate and ahead of both Mercedes cars.

No sign of Alexander Albon yet, though.

04:32 PM

FP2 - Sainz moves fastest

He ends his lap 0.217s faster than compatriot Alonso. Tidy lap. What can Leclerc do? He's currently 13th and is about to begin his first hot lap on the soft tyres.

04:30 PM

FP2 - Alonso improves in the middle sector

But cannot improve his overall time.

Esteban Ocon has moved up into second. We await the Red Bull drivers' runs on the soft tyres, as well as the Ferrari drivers.

Mercedes men are third and fourth after their first qualifying simulation runs, a few tenths at least off Alonso.

04:26 PM

FP2 - Alonso purple in the first two sectors...

...and indeed the final sector to go fastest, but 0.526s faster than Verstappen, but on a step softer tyres.

Lance Stroll goes into third, 0.856s off his team-mate. Curious. Not sure how representative that is from either man. Might have expected a greater improvement from the Spaniard.

04:22 PM

FP2 - It's soft-tyre run time

Both Aston Martins bolt on the qualifying tyre. Let's see where that puts them.

04:21 PM

FP2 - Verstappen improves

He goes around three tenths faster than his previous best and is now 0.241s ahead of Sainz and 0.305s ahead of Alonso in third.

Russell has found his way into the top five after struggling in FP1.

04:15 PM

FP2 - Top 10 and gaps after 15 mins

1. VER 1:13.857

2. ALO +0.015

3. SAI +0.096

4. HAM +0.127

5. OCO +0.167

6. GAS +0.330

7. STR +0.351

8. PER +0.404

9. TSU +0.406

10. LEC +0.560

Sainz lap was on the hard tyres, so that is pretty impressive.

04:14 PM

FP2 - Alonso nearly sneaks into first

But misses out by 0.015s as Carlos Sainz goes third, within a tenth of Verstappen.

04:13 PM

FP2 - Verstappen moves back up to first

0.127s faster than Hamilton, now.

04:11 PM

FP2 - Hamilton dislodges Verstappen at the top

By 0.001s... both on the medium tyres. Leclerc gets right in team-mate Sainz's way towards the end of the lap. Clumsy.

04:08 PM

FP2 - Perez not happy

A couple of cars get in the way of the Mexican's latest run.

Alonso currently top of the timesheets with a 1:14.611. We should be seeing something in the 1:12s or even 1:11s by the end of this session.

04:07 PM

FP2 - A non-track update... guess who's back?

It's Sebastian Vettel, of course.

04:06 PM

FP2 - Verstappen moves top

As mentioned previously, a bit of a problematic and uncomfortable first session for him. He is soon displaced by George Russell of Mercedes, though by just 0.005s.

04:04 PM

FP2 - 57 mins remain

A little more shade on the streets of Monte Carlo now, but still quite toasty with the air temperature at 27c and track temperature at 46c.

Alonso the quickest man early on with a 1:15.959 on the medium tyres.

04:01 PM

GREEN LIGHT: FP2 begins

Sargeant, Hulkenberg and De Vries lead the pack out.

04:00 PM

No word on whether Williams will get Albon's car out for FP2

Fingers crossed for some running in the session. It doesn't look too far away, thankfully after that hefty sideways shunt.

03:56 PM

Nearly time for FP2 to begin

Hopefully we'll get some soft tyre running and a decent idea of who might be in contention for pole position tomorrow.

03:47 PM

First practice report: Sainz leads Alonso

Lewis Hamilton was third in opening practice at the Monaco Grand Prix which ended early after Alex Albon crashed out.

Hamilton, armed with a major Mercedes upgrade, finished the first running in Monte Carlo behind only Carlos Sainz, who topped the order for Ferrari, and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso.

Hamilton was ahead of both Red Bulls – with Sergio Perez fourth and world champion Max Verstappen, who complained on multiple occasions about the handling of his Red Bull, sixth. The Ferrari of Charles Leclerc split the Red Bull pair.

The red flags were deployed in the closing minutes when Albon lost control of his Williams through the opening Sainte Devote corner.

The London-born Thai slammed into the wall, but, despite admitting to banging his knees, he emerged relatively unscathed from the 100mph accident.

The same could however, not be said for Albon's Williams following significant damage to the left-hand side of his machine.

After giving up on this season's car on the eve of the opening race, Mercedes have arrived for the sixth round of the season in the sun-cooked principality with a new concept.

The Silver Arrows have abandoned their controversial zero-sidepod design, and introduced a new front suspension, new floor and cooling system in a change of development on a car which has contributed to the longest losing streak of Hamilton's career.

On Sunday, it will be 539 days since Hamilton last stood on the top step of the podium at the penultimate round of the contentious 2021 season in Saudi Arabia.

And although Hamilton ended the opening running 0.663 sec behind Sainz, the seven-time world champion and his Mercedes team might take confidence from finishing ahead of both Red Bull drivers.

Second practice begins at 4pm BST.

PA Sport

03:37 PM

A decent shot from the tunnel, too

03:34 PM

A reminder on the session times

Friday, May 26

All times British Summer Time

Practice 2: 4pm

Saturday, May 27

Practice 3: 11.30am
Qualifying: 3pm

Sunday, May 28

Race: 2pm

03:34 PM

A few more images from first practice

A picturesque race, no doubt.

03:23 PM

There were two red flags in FP1

The first came when Nico Hulkenberg clipped the wall, leaving debris at the Nouvelle Chicane.

And then there was Alexander Albon's crash near the end.