The second practise session of the day will feature a new face on track: in his earlier FP1 crash Neom McLaren’s Sam Bird fractured his hand.
The winner of the 2024 Sao Paulo E-Prix will be replaced by McLaren’s Reserve and Development driver Taylor Barnard, who is competing full time in Formula 2 with PHM Racing.
Racing wise, the session began just as it had concluded, with the Jaguars of Cassidy and Evans on top with a 1:32.53s, ahead of Maserati’s Daruvala. The Envison and the Ds Penske drivers swap at the lead, with Evans taking back his spot ten minutes into the session signing a 1:31.468s and Cassidy right behind him.
Photo credits: Jaguar TCS Racing
Envision’s Buemi, going for his third win at the track, slots in between the two of them.
At the halfway point in the session, Mortara leads from Misano E-Prix winner Oliver Rowland. The third place is then taken by his Nissan teammate Sacha Fenestraz.
With ten minutes left in the session, Hughes and Ticktum have slotted in on the provisional podium behind the Swiss Mahindra driver. One of our two championship leaders, Pascal Wehrlein, has found pace around the Monegasque streets, as he is now sitting in P4.
Porsche appears to be faster as a whole, as Misano E-Prix winner on track but then disqualified Antonio Felix Da Costa signs a 1:30.48s. Evans is the first driver to sign a lap in the 1:29s today.
Sette Camara is yet to set a lap today, as he is still in his garage due to a powertrain issue. A yellow flag was issued with four minutes to go due to Mortara locking up and hitting the barriers at Turn 7. He is able to return to the pits on his own, but his team will definitely have some work to do ahead of Qualifying.
Evans’s 1:29.64s is still the fastest time, ahead of Vandoorne and home racer Norman Nato. Mahindra might have finally found the pace they were lacking in the first rounds, as De Vries as well cycles on the provisional podium 0.770s off the Jaguar driver’s best effort.
In the final, heated moment of the session, Frijns slots in P2 for the second session in a row ahead of Wehrlein and Da Costa, with the four of them the only drivers to lap in the 1:29, but still far off Fenestraz’s Monaco track record of 1:28.777s
Tune in in a couple of hours for Qualifying!
