FP3 Highlights | 2024 Monaco Grand Prix

Hometown hero Charles Leclerc was quickest in second practice on Friday, and he followed that up by topping the timesheets once again in final practice, to set himself up perfectly for another assault on pole position in qualifying. The Monegasque has twice taken pole for the Monaco Grand Prix, but he's yet to convert that into victory in the race on the streets where he grew up. Could this be the weekend he finally achieves his dream? If Leclerc does take pole this afternoon, he'll be the first driver other than Max Verstappen to start a Grand Prix from P1 all season. The world champion has been unbeatable in qualifying so far in 2024, but has been struggling all weekend in Monte Carlo. He was 11th in first practice and 4th in FP2, and said after Friday's running he wasn't expecting any miracles. He did manage to haul his recalcitrant Red Bull up to P2, some two tenths off Leclerc's pace setting time, but he was having to push right to the limit to do it. His teammate Sergio Perez spent much of the session in the bottom half of the field, and though he too managed to improve to P5 in the final moments, the Mexican is far from confident ahead of qualifying. The barriers are a constant danger in Monaco, as Valtteri Bottas found out just 13 minutes into the session. The Finn clipped the wall at the swimming pool, breaking his right front suspension and forcing him to stop on track as the red flags flew. He had to make his way back to the kick Sauber garage on foot, and without much running in FP3, is now on the back foot for qualifying. That capped a miserable start to the day for Sauber, with Joe Guanyu only 19th fastest and two and a half seconds off the pace. Lewis Hamilton had his own moment at the swimming pool when he launched his Mercedes over the kerb and was heading straight for the wall, before he managed to catch it and avoid what surely would have been a session-ending crash of his own. Despite that, the seven-time champ is looking on form this weekend. He was quickest in FP1 and was third in final practice behind Leclerc and Verstappen in a much-improved showing for Mercedes so far. So Leclerc finished top of the timesheets, with Verstappen just under two tenths behind in P2. Hamilton was next in the lead Mercedes, followed by Oscar Piastri, Perez and George Russell. Carlos Sainz was P7 in the second Ferrari, ahead of Lando Norris, Yuki Tsunoda and Fernando Alonso in P10. Pierre Gasly was 11th for Alpine, ahead of Alex Albon, Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen. Then it was Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon and Logan Sargent. Daniel Ricciardo was P18, with Joe and Bottas rounding out the order. Next up, qualifying.