BBC Sport's Liam Loftus learns how to train like an F1 driver with Red Bull's junior driver Juri Vips at the Red Bull Racing headquarters in Milton Keynes.

Six laps down and Sergio Perez has banked a tasty time in the Red Bull. The Mexican completes a tidy stint to go top with a 1:14.001 on the medium tyres.

A slight delay for the Zhou Guanyu, as the Alfa Romeo crew continue to make last-minute tweaks to the Chinese driver's car.

Times starting to filter in.

Kevin Magussen puts his Haas on the top of the timing tower with a 1:15.972, but the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc manages to pull out two tenths and replaces the Dane as the quickest driver.

The two Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are on a set of hard tyres. The rest of the pack who have made their way out onto the track have the mediums.

The last of fans are taking their seats in the grandstands. An absolute beauty of a day on the French Riviera.

Will the margins still be tight? Will Hamilton's elbows still be sore?

Kiss the barriers too closely at Monaco and that smooch is likely to dash any hopes of a decent practice/qualifying/grand prix pretty quickly.

Image source, BBC Sport

One from the archives...

Back when Russell was still in his Williams short pants, BBC Sport spent the day following the then rookie around the Principality, to see what a Formula 1 driver gets up to on their day off.

I wonder if he still needs his pillow, lavender spray, sleep ring, fruit and nut mix and chocolate as his Monaco weekend rider?

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In a change to his past battles at the rear of the field, George Russell was fighting it out on track with world champion Max Verstappen last weekend.

The two have come up the ranks together since their karting days and Formula 1 is the latest stage for the pair to show who is the stronger competitor.

"I think all of the youngsters know each other pretty well," said Russell. "So the style we have, aggressive with each other, is how we like to race - how I like to drive.

"Equally. I think there is more respect because we’ve known each other longer and we’ve battled each other longer, so definitely enjoyed it."

BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Jack, Jolyon, Jennie and Andrew are back in position and ready to commentate once again.

Second practice is online-only, so click the audio icon at the top of the page to listen in.

If you want to get in touch with the team with your observations - or you just fancy hearing your name being read out on the radio - use the hashtag #bbcf1.

The Premier League season has come to an end, so a couple of midfielders - Chelsea's Mason Mount and Manchester City's Phil Foden - have made the trip over to Monaco, courtesy of the Red Bull dime, to check out the F1 championship.

Mount can offer up his jacket if the chequered flag goes missing.

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Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Getty Images

Nothing to separate the Ferraris and the Red Bulls. Really, really tight.

That's what I love about this circuit, the times are so close. Even if you look a little bit further back, you've got the McLarens, Pierre Gasly, George Russell, all separated by one tenth as well.

The margins are so fine, so it's so much up to the driver when you get down to qualifying in these moments. To find a tenth or two at the wheel, risking it next to the barriers - it's really an exhilarating time for qualifying now.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, speaking to Sky Sports: "I think we have a ride issue, which is something that we have had through the season and is on the bouncing. Sometimes it is a combination of aero and stiffness - today it is the stiffness.

"It looks like our car performs because we were quick. Maybe not at the end, when we had the hard tyres on during the long runs, but overall I think a good car but it's just undrivable like this."

On how Mercedes can improve going forward this weekend: "I think just try and work on the set up just try and make it a bit more enjoyable for them."

On Lewis Hamilton saying he needed elbow pads: "If the car is fast we'll make him all the pads he needs."

So, Lewis Hamilton was a constant on the radio during first practice, flagging up the excessive bouncing his Mercedes was experiencing around the streets of Monte Carlo.

What did team boss Toto Wolff make of it all?

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Monaco

Image source, Getty Images

There were no crashes, but a number of drivers ran off track at the first corner. Along with Verstappen, Leclerc, Perez and Haas driver Kevin Magnussen all had moments there.

Verstappen had gone quickest with his first run on then medium tyres, having started the session on the hards, but after he braked too late into Sainte Devote on his next flying lap his session was over and the Ferrari drivers and Perez managed to leapfrog the world champion.

Williams driver Alex Albon had a very close shave when the car skipped sideways towards the barrier braking for the harbour-front chicane but just managed to save the car.

And Hamilton's Mercedes skipped sideways at Tabac, the seven-time champion managing to keep it out of the wall.

Hamilton complained that his Mercedes was suffering from "crazy" bouncing - a recurrence of the problem was "porpoising" on the straights that plagued them through the first five races but which they hoped had been largely fixed with a new floor introduced in Spain.

Not much to separate the top three runners after first practice, while Alfa Romeo and Haas have work to do to get Valtteri Bottas and Mick Schumacher up to speed before tomorrow's crucial qualifying session.

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