Report: Antonelli heads Ferraris in final practicepublished at 12:45 BST
Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent in Monaco
Image source, ReutersMercedes’ Kimi Antonelli topped the times from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in final practice at the Monaco Grand Prix.
Antonelli, the world championship leader, was 0.327 seconds quicker than Leclerc, with the second Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton third fastest.
A crash for Haas driver Oliver Bearman at the difficult Massenet corner at the top of the hill after the first corner caused a red flag, after which no-one was able to improve in the remaining five minutes of the session.
Mercedes’ George Russell, 43 points behind Antonelli in the championship, was fourth fastest, 0.763secs off the Italian.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was fifth, ahead of the McLaren of Oscar Piastri, whose team have struggled for pace so far this weekend.
Lando Norris was ninth fastest, complaining he had been blocked by Hamilton on a late flying lap, but Hamilton countered over the radio saying the world champion had exaggerated the situation.
The battle for pole looks to be between the Mercedes and Ferrari drivers and Verstappen.
But Antonelli’s pace will have given Ferrari pause for thought after they finished one-two in both sessions on Friday.






