Dan Ticktum led another session around the narrow streets of the Monaco E-Prix, topping the FP2 timings with a 1:26.779, followed by Jake Dennis and Edo Mortara.
Dan Ticktum led the opening session at the iconic Monaco E-Prix, with teams taking every moment around the winding streets to get up to speed with the GEN3 Evo cars.
With the principality hosting a double header for the first time in the series history, the teams will get two chances to get themselves to the front of the grid come race day. It also gives two drivers the unique opportunity of leaving the weekend as the Monaco E-Prix race winner.
Rowland currently leads the championship, but with the competitiveness across the grid this year means nothing is guaranteed.
Rowland versus Wehrlein
Pascal Wherlein led the field out of the pit lane. He was looking to find repeat his winning performance from Miami. Pascal’s first flying lap time was a 1:41.754, but it was quickly beaten but Nick Cassidy, then Oliver Rowland. Rowland’s time broke into the 1:39s, with a 1:39.940.
However, as the rest of the grid crossed the line, times were beginning to tumble. Pascal went back to the top of the timings with a 1:29.592, followed closely by the championship leader, who was just 0.037 behind.
Taylor Barnard, the young Brit who had been impressing fans and team since his debut in Monaco last year, found himself in fourth with a 1:29.891.
Every lap the drivers did were improvements on the previous, with the track rapidly being broken in. Oliver Rowland continued his impressive form that has pushed him into the championship lead this season with a 1:28.993.
But it was short-lived as Sam Bird’s NEOM McLaren crossed the line with an impressive 1:27.964. The fastest lap time from FP1 was Ticktum’s 1:27.511, and the grid were closing in on that margin rapidly.
Wehrlein took the fastest lap of the weekend with a 1:27.280. Following suit from the majority of the session so far, Oliver Rowland crossed the line to go just 0.125 seconds faster than the Porsche behind him.
Barnard looking for time
Taylor Barnard slipped into third place with a 1:27.294. The McLaren driver showed the same raw speed that has pushed him to three podiums so far this season.
Ticktum who led the first practice session of the weekend found himself down in 11th, lacking the pace he had earlier in the morning. However, with 13 minutes left in the session, Ticktum went on a flying lap.
He was on an absolute blinding lap with three purple sectors and three tenths over Rowland behind. His time was the first to get into the 1:26s with a 1:26.779. Ticktum told FFN on media day that if the car was in the right window around Monaco, there was potential for a good weekend. The signs were there.
Mitch Evans put his Jaguar into seconds, with a 1:27.131. Jaguar have been desperate for a good result as their season has seen a slow start. Last year they managed a historic one-two for the team. Something that feels out of reach for Season 11 currently.
Final fast laps
Jake Dennis moved into second with the final push laps happening across the grid. Dennis’ time of a 1:26.946 was followed by Edo Mortara in his Mahindra, who managed a 1:26.991.
The other Mahindra of Nyck De Vries crossed the line to go sixth fastest, with the Mahindra’s finding the pace in practice to get them to the front of the grid.
Full Results:
- D. Ticktum – 1:26.779
- J. Dennis – 1:26.946
- E. Mortara – 1:26.991
- M. Evans – 1:27.131
- O. Rowland – 1:27.155
- N. De Vries – 1:27.223
- P. Wehrlein – 1:27.280
- R. Frijns – 1:27.280
- A. Da Costa – 1:27.291
- T. Barnard – 1:27.294
- J. Hughes – 1:27.373
- N. Nato – 1:27.479
- M. Günther – 1:27.82
- N. Cassidy – 1:27.589
- D. Beckmann – 1:27.593
- J. Vergne – 1:27.616
- N. Müller – 1:27.806
- S. Bird – 1:27.964
- S. Vandoorne – 1:28.074
- S. Buemi – 1:28.267
- Z. Maloney – 1:29.965
- L. Di Grassi – 1:30.326
