LIVE: Drivers return to the track on Saturday night for a crucial third practice session (8pm AEST) ahead of qualifying (midnight) for the Monaco Grand Prix, the latter widely viewed as one of the finest sessions in the entire F1 season.
After Carlos Sainz slammed his Ferrari into the barriers exiting the Swimming Pool chicane in second practice, Ferrari will be hoping they can get back on top – with Sainz topping FP1 before Max Verstappen put his Red Bull on top of the timesheets in FP2.
Sainz said: “In terms of confidence and in terms of lap time, I’ve been on it the whole day; just a small miscalculation in one corner is not going to affect it.
“I think we’re on the right track to at least challenge for [pole].”
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Home hero Charles Leclerc, in the second Ferrari, was just 0.065s behind Verstappen’s best time, and the Monegasque star is eyeing a third consecutive pole position.
Leclerc himself crashed out in qualifying last time out in Miami, with the pressure firmly on the driver ahead of tonight’s fight for pole.
But he promised not to change his approach, saying: “I’ll give it [my] all, qualifying is everything here.
“There’s lots of talks about my last race but qualifying has always been one of my strengths so I’m not worried, I’ll go for it and let’s see what happens.”
Meanwhile, Australia’s Oscar Piastri will also be hoping for a better day in his McLaren, after lapping just 18th fastest in FP2 while teammate Lando Norris was up in fifth despite completing only 18 laps, the second-fewest of any driver. Norris was eight-tenths of a second faster than the rookie Aussie.
Final practice starts at 8:30pm Saturday before qualifying at midnight.
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