Revived Hamilton leads Ferrari one-two in Monaco practice

Monte Carlo, Principality of Monaco: Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton rolled back the years on Friday when he outpaced Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc to clock the fastest time in second practice for Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix.

The 41-year-old Briton, a three-time winner at the unforgiving Mediterranean street circuit and chasing his third pole at the event, clocked a best lap in one minute and 13.026 seconds to beat the local hero by 0.111 seconds.

After his strong second-place finish at the Canadian Grand Prix, this was proof that Hamilton has rediscovered his mojo and will seek a record-enhancing 105th pole position and 106th win this weekend. saltysenoritaaz.org

He won in Monaco in 2008, 2016 and 2019 and is one of six former winners in the field.

الأخبارالصحافة الإسبانية تشيد بـ «الماتادور»: ملــوك كــل العصـــورلم تجد الصحافة الإسبانية ما يكفي من عبارات المديح للاحتفاء بإنجاز منتخب بلادها في نهائي كأس العالم لكرة القدم أمام الأرجنتين. فكتبت،»ملوك كل العصور»، و»إسبانيا التي لا تُقهر»، و...فتح →

His performance came after attributing much of his improved form this year to the role of his 52-year-old Italian race engineer Carlo Santi, who succeeded Riccardo Adami, and other changes made for his second season at Ferrari.

"I feel like Carlo is like my Italian 'Bono'," said Hamilton referring to the Mercedes race engineer Peter Bonnington who now works with championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

"I told Bono that the other day. He's a bit of an OG! He's an older guy that's been around the block. He's very calm. You can hear him on the radio."

Four-time champion Max Verstappen was third fastest for Red Bull, 0.168 adrift, ahead of the Mercedes of George Russell and championship-leading Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, three-tenths and five-tenths off the pace.

Hamilton will also seek an eighth Monaco podium on Sunday to draw level with Ayrton Senna's record of eight.

Isack Hadjar recovered from a crash during opening practice to finish sixth in the second Red Bull ahead of Oscar Piastri of McLaren, whose team-mate world champion Lando Norris suffered battery failure and wound up down in 19th place.

The two Audis of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto were eighth and ninth ahead Olver Bearman of Haas while it was another dismal day for Aston Martin with two-time champion Fernando Alonso 20th and Lance Stroll 22nd.

The session began with Hadjar's car still up on axle stands, as Russell led the way, under a blue sky with a mild 22 degrees Celsius. Verstappen set an early time before the Ferraris took over with Leclerc in front by a whisker ahead of Hamilton until Verstappen took over.

Everyone, bar the Aston Martins on softs, ran on mediums as the track ramped up, providing more grip and faster lap times as Hamilton proved by going top in 1:13.729, 0.279 clear of Verstappen.

Hadjar joined the fray after 14 minutes. "Thank you, guys," he said as he pulled out shortly before a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was deployed briefly when Norris pulled up at the Nouvelle Chicane with a battery-related electrical failure.

On resumption, Leclerc regained control, edging Hamilton by 0.058 seconds in 1:13.613 before Verstappen took softs and clocked 1:13.467. Both Mercedes men also took softs, too, but were unable to catch the trop trio until Russell rose to second.

Ferrari finally took to softs with 26 minutes to go, Leclerc soon clocking 1:13.137 to take command by 0.057 before Hamilton, clearly in the mood, trimmed that in 1:13.026.

In the final minutes, Sergio Perez came to a halt in Casino Square in his Cadillac, the American marque racing in Europe for the first time, with smoke filling his cockpit from the front-right brake ducts.

أكد مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية، أن استمرار النظام الإيراني في أعماله الإرهابية باستهداف البنية التحتية والمنشآت المدنية في البحرين والكويت، دليل على رغبته في زعزعة الأمن والاستقرار في المنطقة وتقويض جهود السلام.

وأعرب السيد جاسم محمد البديوي، الأمين العام لمجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية، عن إدانته واستنكاره بأشد العبارات لاستمرار الاعتداءات الإيرانية العدائية التي تستهدف البحرين والكويت.

وأكد أن هذه الأعمال الإيرانية الغادرة تمثل تصعيدا خطيرا وغير مسؤول، وانتهاكا سافرا لجميع القوانين والأعراف الدولية، وتهديدا مباشرا لأمن واستقرار المنطقة.

وشدد الأمين العام لمجلس التعاون، على أن أمن البحرين والكويت يعد جزءا لا يتجزأ من أمن دول مجلس التعاون، وأن دول المجلس تقف موقفا موحدا وثابتا إلى جانبهما، وتدعم بشكل كامل جميع الإجراءات التي تتخذانها لحماية أمنهما وصون سيادتهما وسلامة أراضيهما.

Monaco: Championship leading teenager Kimi Antonelli bounced back to top the times for Mercedes ahead of both Ferraris in Saturday's final free practice ahead of qualifying at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The 19-year-old Italian, who had endured a torrid race last year and appeared off the pace in Friday's sessions, clocked a fastest lap in one minute and 12.720 seconds to outpace local hero Charles Leclerc by 0.327 seconds.

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was third just 0.004sec adrift of his Ferrari team-mate, but unable to repeat his dominant speed from Friday when he finished fastest overall.

George Russell, in the second Mercedes, was fourth, seven-tenths off his team-mate's pace, ahead of four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull.

Oscar Piastri was sixth for McLaren ahead of Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto, Isack Hadjar's Red Bull and world champion Lando Norris in the second McLaren. Nico Hulkeberg was 10th in the second Audi.

The session, run in perfect dry conditions, was interrupted by a late red flag after Oliver Bearman crashed in his Haas on the run up to Casino Square. He was unhurt.

Antonelli, winner of an unprecedented four consecutive races including his maiden win, is seeking to become the first Italian to win five races in succession since Alberto Ascari with Ferrari in 1952.

Hamilton, fastest on Friday, was the first man out as the session began in bright sunshine in the principality, his Ferrari glistening as much as his unique spangly pink helmet while close friend Kim Kardashian distracted photographers on entry to the paddock.

McLaren, the most successful team at Monaco and celebrating their 60th anniversary and 1000th race, had broken the overnight curfew regulations to make changes of various electrical items following Norris's problems in FP2.

Berlin: Teenage Germany forward Lennart Karl has been ruled out of the World Cup after sustaining an injury in training, the German Football Federation (DFB) said on Friday.

"Lenny tore a muscle bundle today in the final training season and is ruled out because of this injury. Have a good recovery, we're thinking of you," the DFB said on Instagram.

Germany have called up RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouedraogo to replace the 18-year-old Bayern Munich player.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann had said earlier in Chicago ahead of Saturday's friendly against the United States that Karl's injury "didn't look good" and that he had been taken to hospital for a scan.

The loss of Karl is a blow to Germany. He was one of the revelations of the Bundesliga season after making his top-flight debut this season, quickly establishing himself as part of Vincent Kompany's league-winning side.

He started his first match for Germany in Sunday's 4-0 win over Finland, setting up a goal.

Nagelsmann also confirmed that veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer would not be fit in time to face the US, but hoped he would return for Germany's first World Cup match against Curacao on June 14.

Neuer, 40, a World Cup winner in 2014, was surprisingly recalled for the tournament in May almost two years after announcing his international retirement.

"At his age, he doesn't need a warm-up phase," Nagelsmann said. "He knows how to handle high-pressure situations.

"He's on his way to peak fitness. However, we don't want to take any risks tomorrow."

انتقدت إيران السبت الولايات المتحدة، الدولة المشاركة في استضافة كأس العالم لكرة القدم، لما وصفته بـالمعاملة التمييزية لعدم منحها تأشيرات دخول لبعض أعضاء الوفد الإيراني لحضور البطولة.
وتساءلت السفارة الإيرانية في تركيا في منشور عبر منصة إكس لماذا لا تُعلنون رفض منح التأشيرات لعدد كبير من أعضاء الجهاز الإداري والتنفيذي والمستشارين الفنيين وغيرهم ممن يُعدّون جزءا لا يتجزأ من أي منتخب وطني لكرة القدم؟، في إشارة إلى إعلان سابق للسفير الأميركي لدى تركيا توم براك بمنح تأشيرات دخول للاعبين.
وأضافت السفارة لقد صعّدتم الآن المعاملة التمييزية المتعمدة ضد المنتخب الإيراني لكرة القدم إلى أعلى مستوياتها.