Mini leaves it late to top F2 practice in Monaco

Photo: Formula Motorsport Ltd

Formula 2 championship leader Gabriele Mini left it late to top the only practice session in Monaco.

The Italian’s final time of a 1m21.809s was enough to keep ART Grand Prix’s Kush Maini at bay.

It was the Indian who set the pace as the field took to the track, a 1m34.862s keeping Trident’s Laurens Van Hoepen 0.251 seconds behind.

After 10 minutes though, MP Motorsport’s Oliver Goethe bought out the first red flag of the session, stopping at the swimming pool chicane with a technical issue.

Five minutes later, cars returned to the track and began to set down representative lap times.

Invicta Racing’s Rafael Camara went fastest with a 1m25.756s before Van Hoepen bettered the Brazilian’s time with a 1m25.688s, team-mate John Bennett tucking into third.

As the session ticked down it became a battle of the Alpine junior drivers, Alex Dunne and Mini swapping top spot throughout the session.

Dunne went fastest with a 1m24.445s, bettering Mini who sat second with a 1m25.186s. The Invicta duo then briefly went fastest before Van Hoepen returned to the front, clearing Camara by 0.04s with a 1m23.967s.

Dunne quickly restored order with a 1m23.478s with Mini tucking in behind once more with a 1m23.551s, leaving the Irishman 0.073s clear at the head of the field.

Twenty minutes remained when Van Amersfoort Racing’s Rafael Villagomez hit the wall at Massenet brining out the second red flag of the afternoon.

Another five-minute stoppage followed before running resumed. Dino Beganovic leapt from ninth to second with a 1m23.051s, 0.255s behind Dunne who bettered his previous time to a 1m22.703s.

It was then Mini’s turn to go fastest as he set a 1m22.531s to lead Dunne before Van Hoepen beat the pair of them with a 1m22.283s.

Yellow flags flew at Sainte Devote after Joshua Duerksen found the runoff, the Paraguayan ultimately ending the session down in 17th.

With just two minutes to go, Maini took to the front with a 1m21.829s and looked set to stay at the top of the times. Beganovic could only manage third, 0.524s behind, while Mini’s next lap saw him 0.119s adrift with a 1m21.942s.

Mini found time on his final lap to move 0.020s clear of Maini with a 1m21.809s enough to finish the session at the front.

Dunne managed to improve to third, demoting Beganovic to fourth, just 0.055s separating the pair while Van Hoepen completed the top five.

Practice results