F1 LIVE: FP1 of the Monaco Grand Prix gets underway - follow here!

The Circuit de Monaco ushers in the European leg of the current Formula 1 season. In a campaign largely dominated by Mercedes so far, the Monaco GP could prove to be a spanner in the works for a team that has been near-flawless up to this point. Earlier, team principal Toto Wolff noted in his assessment of the weekend that performance on the streets of Monte Carlo is anything but guaranteed.

A step behind Mercedes, the Scuderia Ferrari outfit have been tipped as favourites heading into the weekend. At least Andrea Stella and the McLaren drivers have not shied away from suggesting that the characteristics of the 3.337 km street circuit could play into the hands of the Maranello-based team.

Further back on the grid, Red Bull Racing will be hoping to roll back the years and claim victory in the Principality once again. It has been a challenging start to the campaign for the Milton Keynes outfit, however, last time out in Canada, Max Verstappen’s charge showed that Red Bull can still match the pace of the front-runners when everything clicks.

Amid the expectations surrounding several teams, the spotlight will also be firmly fixed on the Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, who have already engaged in some verbal sparring as the title narrative continues to take shape. Who will come out on top at the end of FP1?

The weather could also be a key factor to watch throughout the weekend. Forecasts suggest a generally dry and warm weekend, with temperatures hovering around 25°C across all three days of action from Friday through to Sunday.

However, there is some rain on the radar, and weather often plays a crucial role in shaping Sunday’s race into the spectacle it can be. For Friday’s FP1 and FP2 sessions, temperatures are expected to range from 19°C to 25°C in what should be a sunny and humid day, with just a 4% chance of rain.

On Saturday, the chance of rain increases slightly to 8%, with more cloudy conditions expected for FP3 and qualifying, while temperatures remain between 19°C and 25°C. By Sunday, things become more unpredictable. The race is expected to take place in warmer conditions, with temperatures ranging from 21°C to 27°C, and the chance of rain rising to around 25%.