The first practice session of the Monaco E-Prix weekend was cut short to 30 minutes, but that did not stop Dan Ticktum from recording the quickest time with an all-time-record 1:27.511, beating the 2023 benchmark. The Cupra Kiro driver was in total control throughout the session and stayed ahead of Pascal Wehrlein and Nyck de Vries, who brought home the cars behind him.
Low Sun and Fast Start
Warm weather in the morning greeted the drivers, with 20°C temperatures and a dry track. The early sun, however, caused visibility issues, particularly exiting the tunnel and into Sainte Dévote. All cars onto the track in the first two minutes, and a routine Full Course Yellow test passed uneventfully four minutes in.
Emotional Tribute from Nato
Norman Nato wore a helmet for Jules Bianchi in tribute to the late F1 driver who died in 2015. On track, Mitch Evans led initially as times began to plummet catastrophically.
Ticktum dominated at the front right from the get-go and didn’t look back. Lucas di Grassi and Pascal Wehrlein fought furiously, but couldn’t depose the Brit. Nyck de Vries had a short stint in second place, but Ticktum quickly reacted by posting the quickest time of the session.
The opposite was the case for Jaguar. Nick Cassidy experienced technical problems and was listed in last place, while Mitch Evans could only must 17th despite a frantic late charge. He holds hope, that they will get the setup right in Practice 2.
New Tech on Display
Teams tried the Attack Charge in the pits as it returns again this weekend. During races, the drivers get the chance to charge 10% of the energy in a time window that can be specified – indicated on the car while it’s being charged by flashing a white light.
Cupra Kiro’s initial speed puts them in good contention for the rest of the weekend, Jaguar hoping for a turnaround in qualifying.