Australia’s Daniel Ricciardo gave improving Red Bull another boost as he edged past Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to finish quickest in the second practice session of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.
Ricciardo, who clocked his fastest lap in one minute and 14.607 seconds, was six-tenths of a second faster than defending three-time champion Hamilton in the second place and nearly nine-tenths clear of championship leader Nico Rosberg.
Ricciardo’s team-mate and Spanish Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen finished fourth fastest just behind Rosberg while Red Bull’s recently-dropped driver Daniil Kvyat was fifth for Toro Rosso.
Earlier, Ricciardo finished the race at the fourth position in the first practice session, where Hamilton emerged as the fastest.
Hamilton clocked one minute and 15.537 seconds at the glitzy principality on Thursday to top the timesheets ahead of team-mate Rosberg, who was 0.101secs slower.
Rosberg said his relationship with Hamilton has not been affected by a first-lap collision between the Mercedes duo which saw them crash out of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Championship leader Rosberg had another sinking feeling in Monte Carlo, where he was halted by a puncture late in the session after running over a drain cover.
And there was further drama, as the drain cover struck Jenson Button's McLaren and caused significant damage to the former world champion's front wing and prompted the red flags to be waved with three minutes remaining.
Sebastian Vettel was third-fastest in FP1, 0.419 off the pace, with Daniel Ricciardo and Spanish Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen fourth and fifth respectively for Red Bull.
Renault's Jolyon Palmer had a session to forget, sliding into a barrier after a mistake at the fast Tabac corner, and Felipe Massa crashed his Williams at Sainte Devote earlier in an action-packed session.
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