Lewis Hamilton was quickest in first practice for the Monaco Grand Prix as lap times fell by over three seconds compared to last year.
However the opening session at the Monte-Carlo circuit was cut short with two minutes left to run after Jenson Button’s car was struck by a flying drain cover.
The McLaren driver was fortunate to escape uninjured after the cover was lifted by Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes at the exit of Sainte Devote. Rosberg sustained a puncture while Button’s front wing was shattered by the impact with the cover.
Rosberg ended the session second-quickest behind his team mate. Just a tenth of a second separated the pair, who used the new ultra-soft tyres throughout the session.
Sebastian Vettel left it until the end of the session before sampling the softest compound and got within half a second of the silver cars.
Daniel Ricciardo, who at one point was seen gesticulating angrily at someone else on the circuit and swearing at them on his radio, was fourth-quickest ahead of team mate Max Verstappen. Both also used the ultra-soft tyres.
The Toro Rosso drivers were well up the order despite not using the softest rubber available. Daniil Kvyat ended the session sixth after setting a 1’16.426 on super-softs. Carlos Sainz Jnr used softs throughout the 90 minutes yet still reached the top ten, seven-tenths off his team mate.
The pair were separated by the two Force Indias (both on super-softs) and Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari (on ultra-softs).
Felipe Massa was the first driver to fall foul of the Monaco barriers, crashing his Williams at Sainte Devote. on his 11th lap. Jolyon Palmer also damaged his Renault at Tabac, having previously swiped a barrier at Anthony Noghes.
First practice visual gaps
Lewis Hamilton – 1’15.537
+0.101 Nico Rosberg – 1’15.638
+0.419 Sebastian Vettel – 1’15.956
+0.771 Daniel Ricciardo – 1’16.308
+0.834 Max Verstappen – 1’16.371
+0.889 Daniil Kvyat – 1’16.426
+1.023 Nico Hulkenberg – 1’16.560
+1.160 Sergio Perez – 1’16.697
+1.375 Kimi Raikkonen – 1’16.912
+1.593 Carlos Sainz Jnr – 1’17.130
+2.025 Valtteri Bottas – 1’17.562
+2.062 Romain Grosjean – 1’17.599
+2.301 Fernando Alonso – 1’17.838
+2.372 Esteban Gutierrez – 1’17.909
+2.650 Felipe Nasr – 1’18.187
+2.737 Kevin Magnussen – 1’18.274
+2.764 Marcus Ericsson – 1’18.301
+3.209 Felipe Massa – 1’18.746
+3.334 Jolyon Palmer – 1’18.871
+4.991 Rio Haryanto – 1’20.528
+5.331 Pascal Wehrlein – 1’20.868
Drivers more then ten seconds off the pace omitted.
2016 Monaco Grand Prix
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Mike (@mike)
26th May 2016, 10:48
Nice to see a bit of a plus for Kyvat. I hope he’s able to carry the momentum forwards.
Given how close they were in Australia, I’m surprised to see such a gap to the Manor cars.
Going to be an interesting weekend.
juan fanger (@juan-fanger)
26th May 2016, 11:15
Probably the worst track for the Manors. Looking forward to see how they go at Baku, which might suit them very well.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
26th May 2016, 11:53
Kvyat is a reactive driver, Monaco should suit him .. Vettel watch out.
bosyber (@bosyber)
26th May 2016, 10:55
Hm, the ‘subtop’ seems like it could be quite close, so I guess Q2 will be very interesting on Saturday, and Q3 will be intriguing too, showing whether Red Bull or Ferrari are close(est) to Mercedes.
FJBH10 (@fjbh10)
26th May 2016, 11:02
What was that with Ricciardo? Who was he swearing at?
JC
26th May 2016, 11:13
Kimi was a bit lazy and held him up through the final chicane/corner
markp
26th May 2016, 13:42
His strategy guy from Spain?
Paul (@latzko)
26th May 2016, 11:05
Anyone know which tires McLaren were running?
Based on this data, they really should be aiming to consistently beat Toro Rosso before setting themselves any further goals, or claiming their chassis is almost best in class (how I wish that were true…).
glacierre (@glacierre)
26th May 2016, 11:12
I don’t think times are representative. Kvyat with a TR is on the neck of Ricciardo’s RB with the new engine.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
26th May 2016, 11:57
Sky mentioned they were working on race pace.
But point still stands, if they want to be #1 they have to beat Toro Rosso.
JamieFranklinF1 (@jamiefranklinf1)
26th May 2016, 11:46
So much for Mclaren being ahead of Ferrari this weekend…
spoutnik (@spoutnik)
26th May 2016, 12:30
@jamiefranklinf1 … in front of (1) (Haas) Ferrari …
The Blade Runner (@)
26th May 2016, 13:43
@jamiefranklinf1
Just thinking the same thing!
Ron and co need to keep their mouths shut and let their on-track performance do the talking. Surely it’s better to surprise everyone with a sudden leap up the field rather than constantly suggesting it’s going to happen only for it not to!
Paul (@latzko)
26th May 2016, 14:24
+1
Every time they say something positive, I (falsely) get my hopes up.
I’d much rather enjoy a surprising leap up in performance that nobody expected, than what is the case now…
GeeMac (@geemac)
26th May 2016, 11:47
Really impressed by Sainz and Kvyat, I didn’t notice that their best laps weren’t done on the ultra soft.
Nick Wyatt (@nickwyatt)
26th May 2016, 11:49
Don’t I remember another incident involving a loose drain cover a few years ago? Wasn’t it Barrichelo going up the hill towards Casino Square? Loose drain covers just should not happen. It’s just poor track preparation by the hosts, and could easily cost lives.
Nick Wyatt (@nickwyatt)
26th May 2016, 12:52
Yes! Thought so. 2010.
“Manhole cover caused Barrichello crash”
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/83774
Sloppy track preparation. It’s a bit like someone forgetting to tighten the bolts on the Armco barriers.
glynh (@glynh)
26th May 2016, 12:52
I think the race was stopped because they couldn’t work out how to fix it. I also seem to remember barichello throwing his wheel and it getting destroyed by a passing car.
Frieda (@friedatwo)
26th May 2016, 11:53
So, I read the article on the Bianchi’s first. How come we are still having problems with drain covers? Every year there is at least 1 that comes loose. One day someone is going to get hurt and then who is to blame?
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
26th May 2016, 11:58
Insufficient head protection will be blamed.
Dr. Jekyll (@dr-jekyll)
26th May 2016, 14:35
@jureo
if it hits someone in the head, then it’s hard to argue against isn’t it?
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
26th May 2016, 15:41
Exactly. Bring in head protection asap, have you seen what it did to that front wing?
Fletch (@fletchuk)
26th May 2016, 12:13
F.I.A.
spoutnik (@spoutnik)
26th May 2016, 12:28
Wow, so that was a drain cover! How’s that even possible? Those things weighs several kilos, it was utterly dangerous. I thought it was some Rosberg’s floor element, and at that time I wondered how such a thing could disintegrate half a front wing.
Clem Fandango
26th May 2016, 13:00
that is shocking and total unacceptable. Button could have been killed by something like that..
DaveW (@dmw)
26th May 2016, 18:36
It’s chilling. There was a terrible incident in a sports car race at Montreal where such a cover was pulled from the track by another car and scythed through a following car, causing it to explode. I believe no one was killed there, but the damage to the car was shocking. A steel manhole cover would obliterate an F1 car at 180mph. The possibility that such covers are not fully secured, by being welded down, should require direct action from the FIA to ensure the organizers are doing this.
John Doe (@watertank)
26th May 2016, 22:10
I just looked it up, really nasty (scroll down in both articles).
I’m just shocked that stuff like this happens in 2016… Absolute failure on the organizers’ part
https://www.racefans.net/2011/05/01/questions-answered/
https://www.racefans.net/2015/09/23/f1-fanatic-round-up-2309-3
Balue (@balue)
26th May 2016, 22:01
Unbelievable. Could have been another F1 fatality this. For both track organizer and FIA/FOM to miss what is such an obvious and known thing around here is totally unacceptable. An investigation and severe consequences should be the order of the day. No sweeping under the carpet.
Pieter
26th May 2016, 12:42
If that drain cover got air and hit a driver’s head the halo would not have prevented it. The RB solution might just be the better of the two.
Dr. Jekyll (@dr-jekyll)
26th May 2016, 14:39
neither would have prevented it, both might have helped, which would do better? I haven’t seen the evaluations done on them…. but it’s clear that things can and probably will fly around and possibly hit a driver in the head.
Even if whatever measure is taken doesn’t evade a casualty, that is no reason not to have it. It’s like arguing against seatbelts not saving everyone from everything, and they make your clothes look weird
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
26th May 2016, 17:26
The halo is better for sticking used tear-offs on, which is a priority for the FIA at the moment.
John Doe (@watertank)
26th May 2016, 22:12
I think it’d shatter
Joao (@johnmilk)
26th May 2016, 12:46
Massa should change his facebook status to “in a relationship with St Devot”