Monaco GP: Ferrari Leads Friday Practice Ahead of Qualifying

Charles Leclerc led Ferrari's revival

Charles Leclerc led the Ferraris to their best qualifying of the year but was still two-tenths off the pace. Ferrari faces a toss-up between its 2025 and 2026 cars

Why it matters:

Currently Ferrari occupies the last positions in the Constructors' Championship, and a continued slump is damaging the team's ability to fight for the title. A rare glimmer of hope in recent weeks was their performance on the track, but in Monaco things went a step further

The details:

• Charles Leclerc took it upon himself to qualify fourth for the Monaco Grand Prix - his best qualifying of the year
• That demoted Pierre Gasly to fifth, while Max Verstappen took sixth ahead of Esteban Ocon
• George Russell qualified seventh in the Mercedes, but an engine penalty drops him 10 places for the grand prix

Between the lines:

In Monaco, Ferrari highlighted its race pace by setting a stunning lap time in the first practice session with the latest power unit, but the race pace was still lacking. After recent good showings thanks to the car's performance, Ferrari is now looking at a similar trajectory in 2025 before the all-important 2026 season.

Ferrari plans to have a 2025 car with a refined chassis, which is expected to give it another boost in performance. Both Ferrari and McLaren will have to balance their focus between the current championship and preparing for the new regulations in 2026, which poses a challenge for teams trying to stay competitive.

What's next:

For the Monaco Grand Prix, the next qualifying is crucial. While the weather is expected to be mostly stable, the track can still throw up unexpected conditions that could make a difference. A good performance in qualifying could help Ferrari close the gap on the leaders and continue its recent upward trend.