Antonelli hustles flying Ferrari’s in Monaco free practice

Kimi Antonelli took top honours at the end of free practice 3 ahead of this year’s Monaco Grand Prix. The championship leader survived a wayward moment at the chicane to secure a time of 1m12.720s, three tenths of a second quicker than second place Charles Leclerc.

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Despite Antonelli’s late surge, it's Ferrari who look like the team to beat in Monaco. Having dominated the season thus far, thanks in large part to a significant power advantage, Mercedes has struggled for pace around the principality’s twisty streets.

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Leclerc took the spoils in FP1, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton looked comfortable on the limit in FP2 and duly set the fastest time. The Scuderia secured second and third in FP3 and will be worth watching in qualifying.

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George Russell had an eventful free practice. The Mercedes driver had a snap of oversteer in the swimming pool section during FP2 and later went deep at Rascasse during FP3. He ended the session fourth, three places and seven tenths behind his teammate.

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Fresh off his first podium of the season in Canada, Max Verstappen was able to stay within touching distance of the leaders throughout FP1 and 2. Despite a drop off in one-lap pace in FP3, the four-time world champion was able to secure the fifth fastest time.

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Oscar Piastri fell victim to the Monaco traffic on more than one occasion. The nine-time grand prix winner was held up by Arvid Lindblad in FP1 and later scraped the wall at Portier in FP2. A quiet FP3 yielded the sixth fastest time.

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Things weren’t as straightforward for his teammate, Lando Norris. An electrical issue in FP2 brought his session to an early end. The team broke curfew in order to repair his car in time for FP3, and the reigning world champion ended the session in ninth.

Isack Hadjar crashed at the swimming pool section in FP1 but recovered to eighth by the end of FP3, while Audi had a quiet, commendable session. Gabriel Bortoleto ended FP3 in seventh while Nico Hülkenberg was in 10th.

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Esteban Ocon considered his teammate an obstruction in FP1 and did little to hide his frustration. He ended FP3 in 11th, ahead of Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly and Bearman, who crashed heavily in FP3, leaving his mechanics with a significant amount of work to do ahead of qualifying. Liam Lawson set the 15^th fastest time after suffering not one but two snaps of oversteer in the middle sector. Alex Albon secured 16th ahead of Lindblad, who reported steering issues alongside his teammate.