Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton set the benchmark in the opening practice session at the Monaco Grand Prix, fractionally beating the McLaren of Oscar Piastri. F1Technical's senior writer Balázs Szabó reports on Free Practice 1.

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur pinpointed the qualifying pace as the main weakness of the Scuderia's 2024 F1 car, and urged his team to find the rights setup for the all-important Saturday session for the Monaco Grand Prix where starting position is usually decisive for the race result.

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc hopes that he will have more luck on home turf this year after a series of misfortune had hindered his chances in his past appearances at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Mercedes Technical Director James Allison claims that his team has gained several tenths of a second with its recent upgrades, but the improvements have been slightly overshadowed by the gains of rival teams, McLaren and Ferrari.

Despite his impressive form this year, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen is not sure that the narrow streets of the Monaco circuit will suit his car as he expects his RB20 to struggle on the high kerbs.

Following a nail-biting Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the Formula 1 field now heads to a street track with the Monaco Grand Prix taking place this weekend.