The drama ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix intensified on Friday as Fernando Alonso lashed out at Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc for impeding during Free Practice 2, a confrontation that triggered a surprise investigation by the FIA and led to a strong response from Hamilton.
During FP2, Alonso was visibly furious after he abandoned a flying lap upon encountering both Ferraris, driven by Hamilton and Leclerc, exiting the Nouvelle Chicane. With limited space through the tight street circuit, Alonso lifted off and gestured aggressively from his cockpit before venting over team radio.
“It’s impossible to be on track with these guys! I can’t drive with these guys on track. Why did they stop? In Turn 10, why did they stop? Both Ferraris, I don’t know.”
The FIA confirmed late Friday that an investigation into the incident had been opened, as impeding and traffic issues plagued several drivers across the two practice sessions. Earlier, Charles Leclerc had already been involved in a separate collision with Lance Stroll in FP1, resulting in a one-place grid drop for the Aston Martin driver.
Following his outburst, Alonso told media he expected stewards to get tougher: “Obviously free practice is different than qualifying, [but] hopefully a more harsh approach in terms of penalties will be taken tomorrow. If not, it’s going to be difficult [to maintain fairness and consistency].”
But Lewis Hamilton, who has largely kept his cool throughout a tense season, offered a calm but pointed rebuttal to Alonso’s criticism:
“It’s Monaco things get tight. We all know that. Nobody was trying to block anyone,” namilton said. “I respect Fernando, but sometimes emotions run high in the car. We all get frustrated. I think the FIA will look at it fairly, but calling for harsher penalties won’t fix the traffic problem here.”
Hamilton also suggested that drivers have a collective responsibility to manage space better: ou can’t expect miracles in Monaco. The cars are huge now, the track hasn’t changed, and sometimes we’re all trying to find clean air. That’s the reality.”
As the FIA continues its review, the stewards are reportedly considering new procedural adjustments for Saturday’s qualifying session to avoid further chaos. With tempers already flaring and Monaco’s notoriously crucial qualifying session just around the corner, all eyes will be on how the FIA enforces discipline moving forward.
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc topped both Friday practice sessions and looks poised to chase a second consecutive home victory while the grid prepares for what could be one of the most contentious Monaco qualifiers in years.
