Lewis Hamilton and Monaco has hardly been a match made in heaven in the past. Apart from his win in 2008, he hasn't had much luck here, most recently snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at the 2015 race, finishing third having started on pole.

He's certainly pushing things to the limit today and locks up at Sainte Devote, pops into the run off before righting himself and getting back under way.

Into P1 goes Lewis Hamilton with 1:15.537. 

There'll be some teeth gnashing going on underneath the helmets of the two Mercedes drivers. It may only be practice, but they both seem determined to land a psychological blow.

Image source, Getty Images

Now, Nico Rosberg goes quickest with 1:15.835 but Lewis Hamilton is quickest of all through the first two sectors.

A right old ding dong between the two and it's only first practice!

Lewis Hamilton joins the pair on the track. Both he and Nico Rosberg are on a new set of ultra softs. Hamilton is quicker than Rosberg on his first lap, clocking 1:16.097 - that's half a second quicker than his previous best this morning.

A cleaner lap from Rosberg on his second run on the fresh set of ultra softs as he posts a 1:15.5.

Relative quiet on the circuit at the moment, with just Rio Haryanto and Nico Rosberg out there at the moment.

Well now. Daniel Ricciardo is NOT happy with someone - possibly in the crowd - as he appears to 'give the finger' from the cockpit before heading into the pits.

"What a BEEP of a bloke," he says over team radio.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Monaco

There is a very unusual rule change coming in to force this weekend, with a ban on drivers throwing their ‘tear-off’ visors out of their cars while out on track. The details are still not clear - such as where the drivers will put them, and what happens if they forget. Fernando Alonso made light of the situation with a touch of humour. 

‘It is not a problem,’ he said. ’It is a strange rule because we never had this kind of rule but it is not really a problem to keep the tear-offs inside the cockpit. We have different solutions we will try tomorrow. We will find a place. Some of these places I cannot tell now because it is 18+. I think we will have to do it in the pit lane, to be honest. this is the perfect opportunity.’”

Esteban Gutierrez is almost caught out by a bump on his run down to the Nouvelle Chicane but keeps it together to prevent the Sauber sliding into a barrier.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen, who doesn't have the new spec engine in his Red Bull this weekend, goes third fastest with 1:17.381.  

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Monaco

"Renault is introducing a new-specification engine this weekend that is worth a very significant lap-time gain. The company say it is a boost of about 0.5secs a lap on a reference circuit - so perhaps a little less in Monaco. The unit went so well in testing in Spain last week that Renault have decided to bring its debut forward by a race - but that means there are only two available and they are going to one driver in each team, with Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen the recipients. Magnussen was full of praise for Renault’s progress, saying they had done a ‘really, really good job’. 

He added: ’You can’t really feel the power, because whether it’s 900bhp or 920 or 930, it’s still a lot of power. It is something you see in the data and on the lap time. One of the concerns with introducing it for Monaco was the driveability but actually the driveability is better and that is going to help a lot around here.’ 

Ricciardo, befitting the different status of Red Bull as a customer, was a bit more circumspect, but still keen to have it. ‘It is not quite on Mercedes level yet,’ the Australian said. ‘We still need to make a few more steps. But sure it has a bit more power, so we will take it.’”

The circuit is green again and there's a stonker of a lap from Daniel Ricciardo. He clocks 1:16.764 that puts him into P2, just 0.176s off Lewis Hamilton's time. Ricciardo's is here with an upgrade to his engine in the Red Bull. 

Tom Clarkson
BBC Radio 5 live commentator

"Think of all the scooter laps Felipe Massa does here, away from the circuit itself.

"You might forgive a young guy coming in and trying to find the limit but Massa knows here and how this track rubbers in and evolves. That is why he is employed by Williams, not to make mistakes like that."

Maybe it's his confidence in his knowledge of the streets that proves his undoing? Replays show him losing the rear coming out of the first turn. 

The damaged Williams is hoisted into the air by a crane and removed from the track. It'll be a race against time to get it patched up and back out in this session.

Yellow flagpublished at 09:25 British Summer Time 26 May 2016

09:25 BST 26 May 2016

Speaking of Felipe Massa, he's only gone and planted his Williams into the barrier at the exit of Sainte Devote.

Come on, Felipe, you only live here mate. If anyone should know his way around these streets...

Check out Felipe Massa's funky, groovy helmet for this weekend.