For decades, Friday was a rest day for Formula 1 before its appearance in Monaco.

Time to analyze the results from Thursday's practice, repair dented, half-wrecked race cars.

Everything calm.

Over.

Anno Hecker

Responsible editor for sports.

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In an effort to shorten 'weekends' given the long season of 22 Grands Prix this year, the management of the premier class has tightened up the programme.

And so the engineers are brooding over the data under pressure after the first two hours of training on Friday in order to prepare optimally for qualifying on Saturday (4 p.m. on Sky).

Almost impossible to overtake

The grid position is more important than in any other race, although overtaking has become easier with the reform in racing car construction.

In the past 67 Grands Prix, the winner of the pole position has won thirty times.

The new design regulations will not change much in terms of statistics.

Especially since the cars have become wider, heavier and more cumbersome.

"In Monaco," says Esteban Ocon (Alpine), "it was impossible to overtake before, now it's very difficult."

Someone doesn't even want to get into this situation.

Charles Leclerc, sort of a city guide in Monaco.

He knows the way better than anyone else in the field.

Leclerc is Monegasse, discovered all the streets and corners as a student.

On Friday, the Ferrari driver showed the competition again where to go: fastest in the first practice session (1:14.531 minutes) over the approximately 3.3 kilometers.

Fastest in the second early on Friday evening (1:12.656), each time followed by a Red Bull, but in which the world champion did not turn the wheel.

Verstappen behind Perez

Max Verstappen had to let his teammate Sergio Perez go by a touch.

Only the second Ferrari man, Carlos Sainz, squeezed between the Red Bull faction and Leclerc.

He was still badly shaken on Sunday in Barcelona after a ride into the gravel bed before Leclerc retired due to a turbocharger damage.

But now inspired again by the proximity to the chief pilot: 0.044 seconds in the fastest attempt over a lap.

eye level.

What does the first ranking say about the prospects on Saturday when things get busy in Monaco?

Ferrari lived up to their role as favorites on day one, beating Red Bull by almost 0.4 seconds.

But has everyone revealed all their cards?

Hardly.

It looks like a neck-and-neck race for pole position.

What does the world champion say?

"If we can achieve a slightly better balance, then we can attack more in the corners, then the lap times will also be better," said Max Verstappen.

With a view to the weather forecast, it gains a bit in value: on Sunday it is supposed to rain, according to the forecast with an eighty percent probability.

There's only one who could see anything.

The first in line.

Accidents cost time and money

Ferrari, with Leclerc at the wheel, is the prime contender for pole position this season.

Four best times by the 24-year-old chief pilot speak for this.

However, Red Bull didn't seem to have taken the risk, at least not Verstappen.

Leclerc, perhaps also motivated by the home game, seems more willing to do so.

A "ride on the razor blade", as Sebastian Vettel (9th) explained.

Because accidents cost valuable time, a lot of money and reduce the development budget.

The big time difference between the four-time world champion and the leaders could be seen in a few places with the naked eye.

There, where Ferrari, like Red Bull, shot over the curbs without taking off enormously.

A sign of a "soft" tunable car.

"The cars have always been rock hard, this season they're a bit stiffer," Vettel told Sky TV: "It's brutal when it comes to the curbs."