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Formula 1 Monaco GP

F1 Monaco GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & FP2

Friday's action from the sixth round of the 2023 Formula 1 season.

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Green flag
Confirmation then that it was a brush with the wall that caused Hulkenberg's sudden puncture. Following a brief stoppage the session is back under way again.
Red flag
We have a red flag. Debris.
It was a sudden deflation in the Chicane for the German, who had an abrupt spin fortunately without hitting anything. Hulkenberg may well have touched the wall on the entry to the left-right following the Tunnel. He wouldn't be the first...
Mechanical problem
We have Hulkenberg in strife, a left-rear puncture on the Haas bringing him to a crawl. But he makes it back to the pits without causing a red flag.
Russell reports that he's struggling for confidence on his tyres, with the rear end too weak causing him to slide. He's down in 13th, 1.5s down on team-mate Hamilton.
Alonso's first effort on mediums moves him up to fourth. It's a 1m14.403s for the Spaniard, who slots in ahead of Norris. For the time being we have five different cars in the top five, with Hamilton topping the times from Sainz and Verstappen.
Red Bull has made a set-up tweak to appease Verstappen, who reports the car feels better at the rear but is still awkward over the bumps. He's now running medium tyres and has just moved into third on a 1m14.280s.
Alonso remains the fastest hard runner in sixth. Hard to say yet of course what impact Aston's upgrades will have had for the 2006 and 2007 Monaco GP winner.
That demotes Sainz to second and Norris to third, the McLaren having gone out again on another set of mediums.
Stopwatch
"Brakes don't feel like they're decelerating very well," is Russell's verdict as he moves up only to 15th. Hamilton though goes top on a 1m14.035s.
Russell is languishing down in 18th, but he now has a set of mediums on and is looking to spring up the order. Likewise Hamilton, who sets a purple sector one.
Quote
Sargeant makes it back to the pits, so thankfully we avoid an interruption in proceedings. "It feels like the wheel is not on properly," remarks the American.
Mechanical problem
Albon's first effort on the mediums vaults him up to sixth, behind fellow improver Tsunoda. But there's problems meanwhile for Sargeant who has crawled through the Tunnel, Chicane and Swimming Pool section complaining of no drive.
The two Williams cars have emerged from the pits with medium tyres for the middle portion of FP1. Albon is P15 and Sargeant bringing up the rear in 20th after their first runs on hards.
Breaking news
We've not been especially used to seeing AlphaTauri up the sharp end in 2023, so it's a nice change for Yuki Tsunoda to pop up in eighth. It was announced earlier this week that AlphaTauri will not be sold by Red Bull after all, which the Japanese said had helped staff to refocus. Here's the full story: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/tsunoda-alphatauri-staff-have-refocused-after-concern-over-cancelled-team-sale/10473423/
Crash
Anthony Noghes has its first F1 victim of the weekend, and it's Lance Stroll who gets a snap of oversteer on exit to tag the barrier with his rear left tyre. He reports that the car feels okay though.
Stopwatch
Sainz sets a new personal best to go fastest on a 1m14.401s, despite catching traffic in the final sector. As always, it will be a bit of a lottery as to whether fast times in practice and Q1 will be thwarted by traffic given there really isn't room to pass at La Rascasse.
Quote
"Compliance from the front end and even from the rear is a struggle," reports Norris. He's currently sixth, slower than the hard-shod Verstappen, Alonso and Stroll, having set his best effort so far on mediums.
Stopwatch
A 1m14.562s from Leclerc is the latest benchmark time, the Monegasque 0.63s up on Sainz with Alonso now moving into third on the hard tyres.
Stopwatch
As the street track rubbers in expect times to continue tumbling throughout the session. Hamilton posts a 1m16.196s on his hard tyres to go second behind Leclerc, before Sainz goes a whole second quicker with a new benchmark of 1m15.198s.
Stopwatch
Home hero Leclerc becomes the first driver to dip into the 1m15s on a 1m15.931s with Ferrari team-mate Sainz, Norris and Hulkenberg next up.
Verstappen isn't happy though, over the radio complaining to his engineers that his RB19 is very difficult to drive. We've yet to hear from Perez, but he's currently sat in the pits with the other 19 cars pounding around.
Stopwatch
Norris pings back to the top though on a 1m16.875s, which narrowly usurps Leclerc. Hamilton is currently the best of the hard-shod runners in third ahead of Sainz and Verstappen.
Stopwatch
The McLaren driver's hold on the top spot is short-lived however. Alonso now goes fastest on a 1m17.296s ahead of Stroll and Russell.
Stopwatch
Perez was going for the first flying lap, but got snarled in traffic in the final sector. Bottas suffered a similar fate behind, so it's Norris who sets the early benchmark on a 1m18.618s.
Hard tyres appear to the preferred weapon of choice for the vast majority, with the Ferraris and Lando Norris's McLaren being the outliers.
Green flag
And we're green for FP1. After a three-week layoff there's no hesitating from defending Monaco winner Perez who is immediately taking to the circuit, 19 other F1 cars following him out.
One minute to go until the session gets underway. You'll notice a fair few special Monaco-themed helmet liveries are in use as the drivers wait in the pitlane.
Sun
For weather fans out there, the air temperature is a very respectable 26.4 °C, while track temperatures are a toasty 47.5 °C. Zero chance of rain for FP1, you'll be glad to hear.
Red Bull will of course have its own brand new F1 engine partnership come 2026, with the return of Ford. The addition of Audi means there will be six engine suppliers on the grid, the most since 2008 prior to Honda's previous withdrawal! Plenty of excitement in the years to come then, but first there's the not insignificant challenge of Monte Carlo's sinuous streets to negotiate.
Breaking news
Aston's plans prompted comments from Red Bull's Max Verstappen lamenting that it was "a bit of a shame". You can read his comments here: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/verstappen-hondas-aston-martin-f1-move-a-bit-of-a-shame/10473382/
Breaking news
Aston has been in the news a fair bit this week, not least because of the announcement it will be teaming up with Honda when the new engine regulations cycle comes into play from 2026. Here's why the company made a U-turn on its F1 plans, having decided not to renew its deal with Red Bull at the end of 2021: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/why-honda-made-a-u-turn-over-its-f1-quit-plans/10472664/
Breaking news
But Mercedes isn't the only team with noteworthy changes to its car in the principality. Aston Martin has also brought its first upgrades of the season to its AMR23, albeit not all of the parts that would have appeared for their first scheduled outing at the much more conventional Imola track. You can read about them here: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/aston-martin-reveals-first-f1-2023-upgrades-ahead-of-monaco-fp1/10473705/
Breaking news
Of course, Mercedes has introduced an eagerly-anticipated package of updates to its W14 car after a disappointing start to the season. It has moved to explain what the upgrades entail, which you can read all about here: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/mercedes-explains-the-six-upgrades-on-its-w14-f1-car-/10473670/
It's a little under 15 minutes until FP1 gets underway at perhaps the most famous grand prix venue of them all. And there's been plenty happening in the build up to the event, the first since Miami three weeks ago following the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna GP.
Good afternoon everybody, welcome to Autosport's live coverage of Friday's Formula 1 track action from Monaco.

By: Autosport Staff

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