Max Verstappen driving the Oracle Red Bull Racing RB19 on observe throughout practice forward of the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco on May 26, 2023 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco.
| Photo Credit: Getty Images
Max Verstappen resumed regular service on Friday when he topped the occasions for Red Bull forward of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in second practice at this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.
The defending double world champion, who had struggled along with his automotive within the opening session to end sixth, was quickest in a greatest lap of 1 minute 12.462 seconds, 0.065 away from the Monegasque native hero who’s bidding for his third successive ‘residence’ pole place.
Carlos Sainz, who was quickest within the first session, was third within the second Ferrari forward of Aston Martin’s two-time champion Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris of McLaren and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes.
Last yr’s winner Sergio Perez was seventh within the second Red Bull forward of a resurgent Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo and the 2 Alpines of French duo Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon.
The session was run in near-perfect situations, a heat afternoon solar touching 27 levels because it shone from a large blue sky over the Mediterranean principality. The observe temperature was 45 levels.
After an encouraging morning run behind the pace-setting Ferrari of Sainz, Hamilton shortly confirmed that Mercedes’ improve package deal was working effectively as he topped the occasions on mediums in 1:15.735.
He was quickly outpaced by team-mate George Russell in 1:15.482 earlier than, in a flurry of tempo, Alonso, Verstappen and Hamilton took top spot.
Verstappen improved once more in 1:13.857 to set the tempo whereas the 2 Ferraris narrowly averted a collision within the ‘Swimming Pool advanced’ earlier than the Dutchman trimmed his time down to 1:13.312.
After 24 minutes, Alonso swapped his mediums for a set of softs and the intense stuff started with him blasting to a greatest time of 1:12.786, an enchancment of nine-tenths on his earlier quickest lap.
Fellow-Spaniard Sainz additionally switched to softs and delivered a lap in 1:12.569 to go top once more as Alonso amused himself with a joke on staff radio.
“I’m speechless with these guys complaining about the traffic,” he stated, as his rivals struggled to discover house on a crowded observe.
With 20 minutes remaining, Verstappen and Leclerc, who had fine-tuned their vehicles after first practice, surged away from the sector, the Red Bull quickest in 1:12.462, shortly earlier than Sainz crashed as he got here out of the Swimming Pool advanced.
The session was red-flagged as Sainz climbed out of his Ferrari, having hit the unforgiving obstacles along with his proper entrance part. “All good,” he stated, confirming he was unharmed.
On resumption, Alex Albon, who had crashed within the first session, re-joined the fray in his repaired Williams because the shadows started to stretch throughout the circuit.
