The sixth round of the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship began with practice Thursday at Circuit de Monaco as teams prepared for the 76th Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday. Two 90-minute sessions – FP1 and FP2 – on the 3.337-kilometer track allowed drivers to methodically build speed and lower their lap times on a circuit that has remained relatively unchanged since it first saw racecars in 1929.
The Red Bull duo of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen led the way in FP1, with Ricciardo’s quick time of 1:12.126 besting his teammate by .154 of a second and easily eclipsing the previous track record of 1:12.178 set by Scuderia Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen in qualifying for last year’s Monaco Grand Prix.
FP1 results
1. | D. Ricciardo | Red Bull | 01:12.126 | 36 | |
2. | M. Verstappen | Red Bull | 01:12.280 | 25 | |
3. | L. Hamilton | Mercedes | 01:12.480 | 34 | |
4. | S. Vettel | Ferrari | 01:13.041 | 40 | |
5. | K. Räikkönen | Ferrari | 01:13.066 | 38 | |
6. | C. Sainz Jr. | Renault | 01:13.456 | 40 | |
7. | V. Bottas | Mercedes | 01:13.502 | 39 | |
8. | S. Pérez | Force India | 01:13.717 | 39 | |
9. | R. Grosjean | Haas | 01:13.943 | 24 | |
10. | S. Sirotkin | Williams | 01:13.962 | 40 | |
11. | E. Ocon | Force India | 01:14.000 | 39 | |
12. | B. Hartley | Toro Rosso | 01:14.034 | 46 | |
13. | N. Hulkenberg | Renault | 01:14.134 | 38 | |
14. | P. Gasly | Toro Rosso | 01:14.240 | 38 | |
15. | S. Vandoorne | McLaren | 01:14.291 | 37 | |
16. | C. Leclerc | Sauber | 01:14.521 | 39 | |
17. | F. Alonso | McLaren | 01:14.637 | 16 | |
18. | L. Stroll | Williams | 01:14.782 | 43 | |
19. | M. Ericsson | Sauber | 01:15.206 | 39 | |
20. | K. Magnussen | Haas | 01:18.801 | 7 |
Ricciardo and Verstappen remained the front runners in FP2. Ricciardo’s lap of 1:11.841 set a new benchmark, with Verstappen .194 of a second behind.
FP2 results
1. | D. Ricciardo | Red Bull | 01:11.841 | 33 | |
2. | M. Verstappen | Red Bull | 01:12.035 | 41 | |
3. | S. Vettel | Ferrari | 01:12.413 | 42 | |
4. | L. Hamilton | Mercedes | 01:12.536 | 34 | |
5. | K. Räikkönen | Ferrari | 01:12.543 | 36 | |
6. | V. Bottas | Mercedes | 01:12.642 | 38 | |
7. | N. Hulkenberg | Renault | 01:13.047 | 30 | |
8. | S. Vandoorne | McLaren | 01:13.077 | 40 | |
9. | F. Alonso | McLaren | 01:13.115 | 42 | |
10. | C. Sainz Jr. | Renault | 01:13.200 | 34 | |
11. | B. Hartley | Toro Rosso | 01:13.222 | 47 | |
12. | S. Pérez | Force India | 01:13.370 | 39 | |
13. | E. Ocon | Force India | 01:13.382 | 47 | |
14. | P. Gasly | Toro Rosso | 01:13.410 | 32 | |
15. | S. Sirotkin | Williams | 01:13.547 | 44 | |
16. | K. Magnussen | Haas | 01:13.572 | 41 | |
17. | C. Leclerc | Sauber | 01:13.575 | 45 | |
18. | R. Grosjean | Haas | 01:13.763 | 37 | |
19. | L. Stroll | Williams | 01:14.011 | 34 | |
20. | M. Ericsson | Sauber | 01:14.173 | 46 |