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MONTE CARLO, Monaco - Formula 1 leader Lewis Hamilton set the pace in the first practice session ahead of the 2014 Monaco GP with Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg close behind.
Hamilton, chasing a fifth win in a row on Sunday (May 25 2014), lapped the Mediterranean street circuit in Monte Carlo with a best time of 1min18.271 on an overcast morning in the principality.
Rosberg, winner from pole in 2013, was only 0.032sec slower with Ricciardo the best of the rest for Red Bull at 0.235sec off Hamilton's pace.
SUTIL CRASHES, CHILTON STOPS
Hamilton leads Rosberg by three points in the Drivers' championship standings after four successive 1-2 finishes. Mercedes has won every race and started each from pole. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso locked up at Mirabeau at the end of the session but was fourth on the time sheets with Red Bull's quadruple F1 champion Sebastian Vettel fifth.
The only casualty of the morning was Sauber's Adrian Sutil who hit a barrier at Mirabeau. Marussia's Max Chilton stopped on the track.
The session was closely watched for signs of how the new cars, with their heavier V6 turbo -hybrid 'power units', would handle the layout with more torque and less downforce. Some drivers have warned that Monaco could be the toughest test of the season with the cars slipping and sliding more around the tight corners on a track where any mistake can be costly.
Rivals Red Bull and Ferrari have also sensed an opportunity, with the performance advantage of the Mercedes engine less of a factor for once.
Red Bull principal Christian Horner said: "Mercedes has been quite strong here over the last couple of years but it's an opportunity. We've got a bit of funny weather this weekend and we'll do everything we can."
2014 Monaco Grand Prix
First practice
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min18.271
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min18.303
3 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 1min18.506
4 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min18.930
5 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min19.043
6 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min19.467
7 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min19.494
8 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India 1min19.666
9 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min19.789
10 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min19.856
11 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min20.033
12 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min20.118
13 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min20.207
14 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus 1min20.241
15 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min20.260
16 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams 1min20.517
17 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber 1min20.736
18 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso 1min20.914
19 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min21.310
20 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham 1min22.063
21 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham 1min22.492
22 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min25.817
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 Monaco GP
Hamilton, chasing a fifth win in a row on Sunday (May 25 2014), lapped the Mediterranean street circuit in Monte Carlo with a best time of 1min18.271 on an overcast morning in the principality.
Rosberg, winner from pole in 2013, was only 0.032sec slower with Ricciardo the best of the rest for Red Bull at 0.235sec off Hamilton's pace.
SUTIL CRASHES, CHILTON STOPS
Hamilton leads Rosberg by three points in the Drivers' championship standings after four successive 1-2 finishes. Mercedes has won every race and started each from pole. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso locked up at Mirabeau at the end of the session but was fourth on the time sheets with Red Bull's quadruple F1 champion Sebastian Vettel fifth.
The only casualty of the morning was Sauber's Adrian Sutil who hit a barrier at Mirabeau. Marussia's Max Chilton stopped on the track.
The session was closely watched for signs of how the new cars, with their heavier V6 turbo -hybrid 'power units', would handle the layout with more torque and less downforce. Some drivers have warned that Monaco could be the toughest test of the season with the cars slipping and sliding more around the tight corners on a track where any mistake can be costly.
Rivals Red Bull and Ferrari have also sensed an opportunity, with the performance advantage of the Mercedes engine less of a factor for once.
Red Bull principal Christian Horner said: "Mercedes has been quite strong here over the last couple of years but it's an opportunity. We've got a bit of funny weather this weekend and we'll do everything we can."
2014 Monaco Grand Prix
First practice
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min18.271
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min18.303
3 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull 1min18.506
4 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min18.930
5 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min19.043
6 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min19.467
7 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min19.494
8 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India 1min19.666
9 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min19.789
10 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min19.856
11 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min20.033
12 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min20.118
13 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min20.207
14 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus 1min20.241
15 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min20.260
16 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams 1min20.517
17 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber 1min20.736
18 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso 1min20.914
19 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min21.310
20 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham 1min22.063
21 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham 1min22.492
22 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min25.817
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 Monaco GP
