Monte Carlo [Monaco], May 27 : Ferrari's Carlos Sainz topped the rankings in the first practice at Monaco GP 2023 as Red Bull's Max Verstappen was struggling with grip and finished sixth.
However, in the second practice, Verstappen displayed a much-improved performance with a lap of 1:12.462 to snatch first place and edge both the Ferrari drivers to seize the first position, according to Sky Sports.
Having set an impressive pace in the first practice, Sainz's day was ruined after a collision at the Swimming Pool Chicane. He finished third at the end of second practice. His teammate and Monaco's own Charles Leclerc finished second behind the defending champion Verstappen with a gap of +0.065s.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who is having an amazing season this year with multiple podiums so far, finished fourth. On the other hand, McLaren's Lando Norris displayed the car's ability in slow corners to grab the fifth position.
Sergio Perez was unable to repeat his last year's performance as he finished seventh. Perez is trailing behind his teammate Verstappen in the drivers' championship as the team is dominating this season.
With Mercedes's significantly upgraded W14, Lewis Hamilton delivered a much better performance and finished sixth while his teammate George Russell managed to finish at the 12th place in the second practice.
Friday marked the beginning of one the most famous F1 events, the Monaco GP 2023 season. Due to the nature of Monaco's slow corners, many are speculating an end to Red Bull's domination, creating an opportunity for their rivals. Ferrari's exceptionally well performance during the practice sessions made the race more thrilling for fans.
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