(Motorsport-Total.com) – Can Ferrari break Mercedes’ dominance in the sixth race of the 2026 Formula 1 season? Friday in Monaco (follow live in the ticker here) gives Scuderia fans reason for hope, because just like in the first practice session, the Reds were again double-fronted in the afternoon – this time, however, in a different order.
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Lewis Hamilton snatched the fastest time in the second session with 1:13.026 minutes, teammate Charles Leclerc was 0.111 seconds behind the seven-time world champion. However, the competition was closer this time: Max Verstappen (+0.168) was also within two tenths of a second of Ferrari.
In terms of positions, not much changed in the second session, as the Dutchman was also in third place in the first practice session. And just like there, the two Mercedes cars were in fourth and fifth place this time as well.
This time, however, George Russell (+0.379) prevailed over championship leader Kimi Antonelli (+0.503). Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar finished sixth ahead of Oscar Piastri in the McLaren. His teammate Lando Norris had already rolled out after 14 minutes in the harbor chicane with a defect – he finished 19th.
Audi once again had both drivers in the top 10: Nico Hülkenberg (+1.068) finished eighth ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto (+1.333) and Haas driver Oliver Bearman.
The most important things in brief:
Result: 2nd Free Practice in Monaco
Result: Overall standings on Friday
Photos: Grand Prix of Monaco 2026
Who is the favorite in the long runs?
Let’s put it this way: In no other race do long runs play as small a role as in Monaco. One could even say that long runs can be ignored. Whoever sets the fastest time on Saturday will probably also be at the top on Sunday – simply because overtaking is virtually impossible on the streets of Monte Carlo.
Therefore, it looks quite good for Ferrari if they can maintain their one-lap pace. Accordingly, the Scuderia’s focus was heavily on qualifying pace, and the team forewent long runs.
Photos: F1: Grand Prix of Monaco (Monte Carlo) 2026
The fastest in terms of long runs was Max Verstappen with an average of 1:16.7 minutes. Mercedes was slightly slower, McLaren dropped off completely – at least Oscar Piastri, as Lando Norris was out early. Audi could be a surprise in the midfield.
It was noticeable, however, that many drivers could only set their best times on the fourth or fifth lap. This could become an issue in qualifying – and of course in the race. Keyword: Overcut.
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What happened to Lando Norris?
The reigning world champion’s second practice session lasted only 14 minutes before he had to park his McLaren in the harbor chicane. A technical defect meant that Norris could only complete eight laps in the session.
Norris drove out of the tunnel towards the chicane when his car simply cut out – his steering wheel display also remained black. According to CEO Zak Brown, the battery is said to be responsible for the problem. However, what exactly caused the car to cut out still needs to be investigated more closely.
Were there any other incidents?
There was at least one more red flag. Four minutes before the end, Sergio Perez stopped his Cadillac at the Casino. Smoke had formed in his cockpit, coming from the front right brake, which suddenly caught fire.
Otherwise, there were no major incidents. A kiss of the guardrail here and there, but nothing serious. Only Franco Colapinto (Alpine) had hit the guardrail a bit harder in Turn 1, but the Argentinian was also able to continue.
Drivers in the escape road were not seen.
What’s next at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix
Friday’s events (June 5) will then be analyzed from 10 PM by Kevin Scheuren and Kevin Hermann in a livestream on the Formel1.de YouTube channel, which will naturally also include a look at the long-run data from the second practice session.
Formula 1 Saturday (June 6) in Monaco begins at 12:30 PM with the third and final free practice session. Qualifying for Sunday’s race then follows at 4 PM. Kevin Scheuren and Christian Nimmervoll will report from 10 PM in the YouTube livestream and discuss all important topics regarding qualifying.
On Sunday, the race start in Miami is scheduled for 3 PM. At 10 PM, Kevin Scheuren and Christian Nimmervoll will begin their Grand Prix analysis. As always, channel members can ask their questions live.
For all information on streams and TV broadcasts in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, please refer to our current overview. Details on the weather forecast can be found in our preview.
After Monaco, it’s straight on to the next race in Barcelona, which follows just one week later (June 14). (See the 2026 race calendar here!)
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