Lewis Hamilton’s Monaco GP practice turned heads when an ‘unacceptable’ incident occurred, involving Alpine driver Pierre Gasly.
- The tense moment saw Hamilton abandon a flying lap due to Gasly’s slow-moving car near Massenet, sparking criticism from Karun Chandhok.
- Chandhok called the situation one of the worst possible places for Gasly to move slowly, emphasizing safety concerns.
- Adding to the session’s drama, Hamilton had an earlier near-miss involving Liam Lawson, highlighting the intense practice conditions.
- Despite the incidents, Hamilton managed to finish ninth, lagging behind teammate Charles Leclerc, who led the session.
The Monaco Grand Prix practice session took an unexpected turn when Lewis Hamilton found himself in the spotlight, but not for his speed. An incident involving Pierre Gasly forced Hamilton to abandon a crucial flying lap. As Hamilton approached the Massenet corner, he was surprised by Gasly’s Alpine moving slowly on the racing line. Over team radio, Hamilton expressed his frustration, stating, ‘Those guys were going slow there!’
Sky F1 pundit Karun Chandhok criticized Gasly’s awareness, calling it ‘unacceptable’ for a driver to be so close to the racing line in such a crucial section of the track. Chandhok remarked, ‘It is literally one of the worst places – maybe the worst place – you could try and get out of the way of somebody there.’
Adding another layer to the day’s excitement, Hamilton’s practice was marred by an earlier incident with Liam Lawson. Hamilton’s Ferrari was moving slowly through the final two corners, catching Lawson by surprise. ‘I nearly hit Hamilton. He braked right before the last corner,’ said Lawson over team radio, which was met with a resigned, ‘Yeah, usual. Usual Hamilton stuff,’ from his race engineer.
Amidst these incidents, Hamilton experienced a scare at the Swimming Pool section, when he scraped the inside barrier, causing his car to launch over the kerbs. This mishap cost him time, leaving him to complete the session in ninth place. Charles Leclerc, Hamilton’s teammate, topped the timings, despite his own challenges with the car’s handling, describing it as having ‘right corner’s understeer, left corner’s oversteer.’
The day was full of tense moments, but it concluded with Hamilton in ninth place, significantly slower than Leclerc, who was the star of the session. The practice round highlighted both the unpredictability and excitement that come with the Monaco Grand Prix, reinforcing why it remains a staple in the F1 calendar.
The Monaco GP practice sessions reminded everyone of the high stakes and unpredictability in racing, with Hamilton’s eventful day keeping fans and pundits on their toes.
