The first practice session of the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix took place on Friday morning, with Carlos Sainz setting the fastest time of the day. The Ferrari driver was 0.338 seconds ahead of Fernando Alonso in second, with Lewis Hamilton in third.

The session was disrupted by a red flag after Valtteri Bottas crashed at the Swimming Pool section. The Finn lost control of his Alfa Romeo and hit the barriers, causing significant damage to the car.

Despite the red flag, the session was able to run to its full distance, with Sainz setting his fastest time on the final lap. The Spaniard will be hoping to carry his form into qualifying on Saturday, where he will be looking to challenge for pole position.

Friday Practice 2

The second practice session of the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix took place on Friday afternoon, with Max Verstappen setting the fastest time of the day. The Red Bull driver was 0.065 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc in second, with Carlos Sainz in third.

The session was again disrupted by a red flag, this time after Esteban Ocon crashed at the Rascasse corner. The Alpine driver lost control of his car and hit the barriers, causing significant damage to the car.

Despite the red flags, the session was able to run to its full distance, with Verstappen setting his fastest time on the final lap. The Dutchman will be hoping to carry his form into qualifying on Saturday, where he will be looking to challenge for pole position.

Overall

The two practice sessions in Monaco were closely contested, with Verstappen and Leclerc setting the fastest times in each session. The two drivers are expected to be the favorites for pole position on Saturday, and they will be looking to fight for victory on Sunday.

The other drivers who will be in contention for a podium finish include Sainz, Hamilton, Alonso, and Lando Norris. The Monaco Grand Prix is always a unpredictable race, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top on Sunday.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the two practice sessions:

• Carlos Sainz set the fastest time in FP1, but Max Verstappen was quickest in FP2.
• The session was disrupted by two red flags, caused by crashes by Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Ocon.
• Verstappen and Leclerc are the favorites for pole position tonight and victory on Sunday.
• The other drivers who could challenge for a podium finish include Sainz, Hamilton, Alonso, and Norris.

The Monaco Grand Prix is always an unpredictable race, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top tonight. Qualifying begins at IST 7:30pm, so do join at that time for the qualifying report.