Have Mercedes finally cracked the porpoising problems that have plagued them since the beginning of the season?

Not quite...

Only the two Ferrari boys are one the medium compounds. Everyone else has a set of hards bolted on.

Daniel Ricciardo, looking for positive weekend in the McLaren, goes top with a 1:17.123, but the Australian jumped by the likes of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.

Leclerc hits a 1:16.157, followed now by team-mate Carlos Sainz.

"The ride is terrible. Very bad ride."

Drivers are wrestling with these new generation of cars around the sunny - but narrow - Monaco circuit.

Charles Leclerc, home boy Charles Leclerc, who has never scored a point in his own backyard, goes top of the time sheets with a 1:17.993 on the medium tyres.

George Russell is giving his Mercedes team a bit of a running commentary over the radio. Didn't sound like he was too happy too.

Monaco has already seen a hefty crash in the earlier Formula 2 session involving Jake Hughes for Van Amersfoort Racing.

Hughes walked away fine but it's a reminder that a single miscalculation here and it's Goodnight Vienna for your day's work.

Lewis Hamilton has a helmet design inspired by his favourite amethyst crystal, while Sergio Perez is sporting a tribute to Mexican Formula 1 driver, Pedro Rodriguez.

Off we go for first practice.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer

Image source, Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton has said "way too much time" is being devoted to the issue of drivers wearing jewellery in the cars.

Formula 1's governing body the FIA has ducked a potential stand-off over on the matter at this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix by referring it for further analysis.

The move follows talks with the drivers at the race in Spain last weekend.

Hamilton said: "It's not been a problem in the past and there's no reason for it to be problem necessarily now."

Read more here.

Has Lewis Hamilton taken his nose ring out for this weekend's Monaco event? Can't quite see from that previous picture, but the seven-time world champion has spoken once again about the topic of jewellery.

This is how Lewis Hamilton arrived at the track today, with Ange on the back.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

A warm welcome to the 5 Live Formula 1 team.

Jennie Gow and Andrew Benson have their eyes and ears open around the paddock in Monaco, while Jack Nicholls and Jolyon Palmer are in a soundproof box ready to commentate - but possibly not from the glitz and glamour of Monte Carlo.

Commentary is online-only for these two practice sessions, so click the audio icon at the top of the page to listen and use the hashtag #bbcf1 to let the team know your thoughts.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Monaco

Image source, Getty Images

The pressure is mounting on Daniel Ricciardo, who is still struggling to match McLaren team-mate Lando Norris. Spain last weekend was a particularly sobering experience - he was ordered to let Norris by early in the race having qualified ahead, and ended up finishing half a minute or so behind.

That prompted McLaren Racing chief executive Zak Brown to admit afterwards that Ricciardo’s performance since he joined McLaren had “generally not kind of met his or our expectations”.

Ricciardo said on Friday: “It's not false, it's pretty true. Firstly comments, I don't take them personal. My skin is tanned, beautiful and also thick. No one's going to be harder on me than myself.

"I don't want to be racing around in 10th or 12th places. It's been a little bit more certainly testing at times in terms of trying to get up and maximise myself in this car. But we're working together hard at it. The team wants it, I want it, and we are just working through it.”

Is his seat under threat for next year? Ricciardo confirmed that he has a contract through to the end of 2023, but in F1 nothing can be taken for granted, especially with the team’s known interest in IndyCar front-runners Pato O’Ward and Colton Herta.

Image source, Getty Images

What was the outcome of Perez's debrief with the Red Bull crew? Here's what the Mexican had to say in the press conference earlier:

"We spoke after the race and I felt during the race that we could have gave a shot at the two-stop strategy to see if it could work or not, which the team took onboard, and they were clear that the three stop was the way to go.

"At the end we both agree, we are on the same page and we move on. We have a great momentum at Red Bull, so at the end of the day it was a great team result and they made it clear I have full support of the team to see me winning."

The Spanish Grand Prix was Red Bull's day thanks to Sergio Perez joining winner Max Verstappen on the podium in second place.

Although happy to have helped the team secure championship points, Perez was less than impressed with the orders that were dished out during the race in favour of the Dutchman.

Image source, Getty Images

Verstapen tweeted his thanks to Perez for being a "great team-mate" but the Mexican said the team needed to "speak later" about the call.

Team boss Christian Horner told Sky Sports that the strategy was based on what outcome could be achieved given the tyre life on both cars, and not about handing Verstappen a title race leg up.

What it must be like to look out of your bedroom window and see the Formula 1 greats whizzing around right in front of your eyes.

Little Charles, meet big Charles.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Monaco

Image source, Getty Images

A year ago, Charles Leclerc lost a home win in Monaco in agonising circumstances. Having put the car on pole position, he crashed in the closing stages of qualifying. Rebuilding it, Ferrari did not notice a crack in a driveshaft hub, and the failed on the way to the grid. It continued a remarkable run in which Leclerc has never finished a race in his home town, regardless of the category he in which he has been racing.

This year, he has a golden opportunity to make amends, break that unfortunate record, and perhaps most important of all get his title challenge back on track after a 52-point swing in the favour of his rival Max Verstappen in the last three races.

The Ferrari’s pace this year has come from its cornering potential, and this track is all corners, so everyone - including Verstappen - is expecting them to be the fastest over one lap again this weekend.

It was shaping up to be the perfect weekend for Charles Leclerc after topping all three practice sessions and securing pole position in Barcelona.

In the end a cuddle from Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto on the pit wall was all the 24-year-old could take away from the sixth race of the campaign.