Vettel fastest, Stroll crashes, Palmer breaks down
Hamilton only eighth as Mercedes choose not to push
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Kimi Raikkonen has a bit of a smooch with the barrier at the Swimming Pool. Actually, more of a peck of the cheek as he manages to avoid any damage.
Meanwhile, Red Bull have got the ultra-softs warmed up nicely as Daniel Ricciardo goes fastest of all with a 1:14.884.
Image source, Getty ImagesOne circuit, any driver - who would it be and why?
Lorenzo Mugnai: I'd like to see Mansell back at Monaco to relive the battle of 1992 with Senna
Tanya Smith: Michael Schumacher for any race.
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Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Monaco
Twelve months ago, this was the race at which Red Bull really arrived. Yes, Max Verstappen won in Spain, but that was inherited after the Mercedes drivers took each other out on lap one. But in Monaco, Daniel Ricciardo was the fastest thing out there, he stuck it on pole, and only a bungled pit stop robbed the Australian of victory.
This year, the car has been uncompetitive, but after a slow start to the season, an upgrade package in Barcelona halved the gap to the top two teams and now design chief Adrian Newey has been dragged back onto a project he had stepped away from over the winter to try to sort things out. And a second tranche of upgrades has been brought to Monaco.
Ricciardo said: “Looking back to last year, there’s a bit of unfinished business but I will do what I can. I come here with good feelings and good vibes. The level of confidence is still high. We have some new parts on the car. We had some in Barcelona and it gave us bits and pieces but not as much as we desire. and we ave more this weekend, and Monaco specific, and hopefully that will help us lean on the front guys a bit more.”
Max Verstappen slips the Mercedes as a 1:15.306 puts him P2.
The teenager then has to abort his next lap as he skips over the chicane, coming bum-twitchingly close to hitting the barrier.
Image source, Getty ImagesValtteri Bottas is improving with every lap. He does a 1:15.111, a time that will be a tad frustrating for Lewis Hamilton as, despite an improvement of his owe, he remains two tenths off his team-mate.
Max Verstappen is paying tribute to former MotoGP champion Nicky Hayden on his helmet, who died earlier this week.
Image source, Getty ImagesAndrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Monaco
Eight laps each for Merc drivers. Bottas 1:15.408; Hamilton 1:16.076. Gotta think there's some point-making going on.
Image source, Getty ImagesLewis Hamilton ramps it up to get within six tenths of his team-mate's time. The two Mercedes are a full two seconds clear of anyone else on the timing screen.
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Valtteri Bottas is flying around Monaco at the moment and he brings the benchmark down quite a bit with a 1:15.408. Like his team-mate Lewis Hamilton, he's on the super-softs.
Image source, Getty ImagesFancy testing your Jenson Button in Monaco knowledge? We've done a quiz on that very subject and you can have a go here.
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First time is on the board and it belongs to Max Verstappen, who has done a 1:19.424 on ultra-softs.
Lewis Hamilton also has his name on the timing screen - a 1:19.610 on the super-softs.
Just two tenths off Verstappen on the slower compound of tyre.
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Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Monaco
Who will be the first person to crash this weekend? You'd get a lot of people picking Williams driver Lance Stroll for that one. He has had an, er, incident-packed start to his F1 career, and he has looked frankly out of his depth so far, lagging a long way off the pace of team-mate Felipe Massa. And he has never driven around Monaco before. The pressure is undoubtedly mounting on the 18-year-old Canadian, and he admits he needs to up his game.
“It's my first five races, and it's been a bit tricky,” he said. “It doesn't just change everything. There's still a long season ahead of me. It's the same pressure as always, the pressure you put on yourself to come out and compete and do well.
"It's F1, and there's obviously pressure, but nothing more than in the past. I've got to take it race by race and focus on what you can do. The rest is kind of out of your control.”
Ey up, a cheeky little lock up for Jenson at Tabac. He pits and is rolled back into the McLaren garage.
Image source, Getty Images"Sorry mate I haven't watched much F1 this year, McLaren is pretty fast these days, right?"
Nine drivers are out on the track now including the man of the moment - Jenson Button.
He's avoided rolling into the pool, like he did in the simulator, so far so good.
First practice is under way!
Sebastian Vettel is straight out onto the track. He's got ultrasofts bolted on his Ferrari.
You can listen to commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra right now.
Image source, Getty Images