Antonelli sets Monaco practice pace ahead of Ferraris

MONACO: Championship leader Kimi Antonelli put Mercedes on top in Saturday’s final free practice for the Monaco Grand Prix, finishing ahead of both Ferraris before qualifying later in the day.

The 19-year-old Italian, who struggled in last year’s race and had looked short of pace in Friday’s sessions, posted a best lap of one minute and 12.720 seconds. That left him 0.327 seconds clear of hometown driver Charles Leclerc, while Lewis Hamilton was third for Ferrari, only 0.004 seconds behind his teammate. Hamilton had been the quickest overall on Friday but was unable to match that form in the final session.

George Russell placed the second Mercedes in fourth, seven-tenths slower than Antonelli, with Red Bull’s four-time champion Max Verstappen fifth. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was sixth, followed by Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto, Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar and world champion Lando Norris in the second McLaren. Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10 in the other Audi.

The session took place in dry and bright conditions on the streets of the principality, but it was halted late on by a red flag after Oliver Bearman crashed his Haas on the climb toward Casino Square. He was not injured.

Antonelli arrived in Monaco on the back of four straight victories, including the first win of his career. According to the session report, he is now attempting to become the first Italian driver to claim five successive wins since Alberto Ascari did so for Ferrari in 1952.

Hamilton was the first driver to head out at the start of the session in sunny weather. Photographers were also drawn to the paddock by the arrival of Kim Kardashian, described as a close friend of the Ferrari driver.

McLaren, meanwhile, were penalised for breaching overnight curfew rules after making changes to several electrical components following Norris’s problems in Friday’s second practice. The team were reprimanded and fined 20,000 euros ($23,000). They were also handed a further suspended fine of 10,000 euros for taping over a clutch disengagement button, which had prevented marshals from moving the car more easily.