Piastri struggles in Monaco F1 practice as Ferrari makes statement

Australian driver Oscar Piastri found himself off the pace during the opening practice sessions for the Monaco Grand Prix, finishing seventh in the second free practice session (FP2). Piastri clocked a time of 1 minute and 14.088 seconds, a performance that left him trailing the leading contenders.

Ferrari has made a strong statement ahead of qualifying, with both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton topping the timesheets in their respective sessions. Leclerc led the first session, with Hamilton taking the fastest time in the second. This performance from Ferrari signals them as strong favorites for the upcoming race.

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It felt OK, just not as speedy as we would like, unfortunately.

Piastri acknowledged the difficulties of the day, stating, "It felt OK, just not as speedy as we would like, unfortunately." He noted that while the team made some progress between sessions, they still have a significant gap to close. "We made a bit of progress in FP2 but went from a second-and-a-half off to a second off, so it's been a tough day for us, for sure," Piastri commented, emphasizing the need for overnight improvements.

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So a bit of a difficult one. We made a bit of progress in FP2 but went from a second-and-a-half off to a second off, so it's been a tough day for us, for sure.

The return to European street circuits was anticipated to offer opportunities for rivals to challenge Mercedes' dominance. However, Ferrari's impressive pace in Monaco suggests they are the team to beat. Hamilton, seeking his first win since joining Ferrari, set a blistering 1:13.026 in FP2, narrowly ahead of Leclerc. Red Bull's Max Verstappen also showed competitive pace, securing third place in both sessions.

Other notable incidents included a significant scare for Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, who crashed into the safety fencing in the first practice session but emerged unhurt. McLaren's Lando Norris experienced a power unit problem, forcing him to stop early in FP2 after finishing sixth in the opening session. The grid will feature 22 cars for the race.

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We always expected Ferrari to be quick, and they look very, very quick, but we were hoping we'd be a fair bit closer.