Friday practice at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix delivered a familiar script at the top — Ferrari in command — but a host of troubling subplots further down the order. From a battery crisis at McLaren to a damaging crash for Red Bull’s Isaac Hadjar, Saturday qualifying promises to be anything but straightforward.
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Ferrari Fastest, But Leclerc Not Fully Satisfied
Ferrari remains the team to beat around the streets of Monte Carlo. Both drivers are well placed for a front-row lockout on Saturday, with the SF-26’s superior mechanical grip suiting the low-speed, high-downforce demands of Monaco. However, Charles Leclerc was heard on team radio voicing dissatisfaction with the car’s behaviour under braking — a concern the team will look to address overnight ahead of qualifying.
Red Bull and Hadjar: A Warning Pattern Emerging
The most alarming story of the day centred on Isaac Hadjar, whose RB22 snapped sideways at the entry to the second chicane in FP1, inflicting heavy damage to the front, left side, and rear of the car. Red Bull worked through the session break to return him to the track, though Hadjar ran an older front wing specification as a result — leaving him nearly a second adrift of Max Verstappen in FP2. The pattern eerily mirrors what befell Yuki Tsunoda last season: a crash, a parts shortage, compromised lap times, frustration, and ultimately more incidents. Watch our full analysis on Hadjar linked below.
Verstappen himself, meanwhile, looks ominously quick on his home circuit, though he too left the garage without a smile — typical of his Friday-to-Saturday transformation.
McLaren in Crisis, Mercedes Cautiously Optimistic
McLaren endured a difficult Friday, hampered by a battery issue strikingly similar to the problem that sidelined George Russell in Canada. Principal Zak Brown looked visibly concerned in television interviews, and the team’s body language suggested this is no minor setback. The gap to last year’s form — when Lando Norris won in Monaco — could hardly be more stark.
Mercedes, by contrast, are quietly building momentum. Kimi Antonelli led the way in FP1, before George Russell found more comfort following setup adjustments in FP2. The Silver Arrows appear to be the most credible challengers to Ferrari behind Verstappen.
Aston Martin Patience Tested, Cadillac Addresses Bottas Rumours
Aston Martin’s struggles continued in Monaco — a circuit that, in theory, should suit a car with strong mechanical grip and less reliance on power unit performance. That the team is not benefiting from those conditions suggests the problems extend well beyond Honda’s power unit. Fernando Alonso and the rest of the squad were offered little encouragement, with the word from within the team simply: patience. Possible steps forward may not materialise until after the summer break.
Elsewhere, Cadillac team owner Andy Stevenson moved to dismiss reports that Valtteri Bottas could be dropped mid-season, stating publicly that the team holds him in high regard. However, when pressed on whether Bottas would continue beyond 2026, no confirmation was forthcoming — fuelling speculation that Colton Herta could be in the frame for a 2027 seat, despite inconsistent results in F2.
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