Three things to look out for at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix

There's plenty to look out for at the Monaco Grand Prix, from the scenic views to the luxury yachts to the hundreds of celebrities crowding the grandstands. But as Friday's practice sessions close and the drivers prepare for Sunday's Grand Prix, here are the three things worth following on the track:

Monaco's hometown heroes, both real and adopted

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is the only Monegasque driver on the grid; he was born in the Monte Carlo district and grew up walking (and driving) these streets. He's expected to perform well this weekend and will undoubtedly get the biggest cheers from the crowd. Keep an eye out for signs around Monaco in his honor: many figure to say "Daghe Charles," which means "Go Charles" in the local dialect.

But while Leclerc is the only Monegasque-born driver, the principality has another "hometown" hero to root for in McLaren's Oscar Piastri. Piastri's family comes from all over the world and he has cheekily claimed "home races" in a variety of countries from Australia to China to Italy. After performing exceptionally well in his "home races" in 2024, Piastri joked that he would have to trawl his family tree for traces of Monegasque heritage before this weekend.

Leclerc, eager to help, publicly offered to adopt Piastri before the race and the F1 world went along with the joke. You'll see Piastri referred to as "Piastri-Leclerc" this weekend on official F1 broadcasts to honor the "adoption."

Hammertime

First in FP1, second in FP2: early signs point to Lewis Hamilton being in fine form for this Monaco Grand Prix. The English driver has won three times here but hasn't topped the podium since 2019. 

"It's been a good day, definitely the best day we've had on track," Hamilton said after Friday's practice sessions. "The car was feeling really positive, I really enjoyed driving it, the track is amazing and the grip is good. We still have some challenges, but it was looking strong."

Bucking bulls

Red Bull Racing has dominated the past 12 months of F1. The team won all but one Grand Prix in 2023 and has taken home five of seven victories in 2024. But things are looking bumpy – literally – for Red Bull in Monaco. Its notoriously low-slung cars under-performed in both Friday practice sessions as they lurched and rattled over the circuit's asphalt.

The good news for Red Bull is that it has one more practice session available to figure out its ideal ride height and solve the issue. The bad news is that any changes will reduce the car's grip and potentially cause new problems around Monaco's tight corners. It's rare to see Red Bull struggle so mightily in practice sessions – the rest of the grid would love to seize on any opportunity to leapfrog it.

The Monaco Grand Prix begins on Saturday with qualifying at 10:00 a.m. ET and continues with the race on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. ET.