Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the pace ahead of Lewis Hamilton in Friday practice at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Leclerc was fast throughout both sessions on Friday and ended the day 0.188 seconds clear of Hamilton’s Mercedes.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was third, 0.475secs off the pace, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was an unhappy fourth.

The world champion, who complained his car was “bouncing like a kangaroo”, was 0.535secs off the pace and even hit the barriers lightly at Portier.

The incident did not apparently damage his car but for the second race in a row Red Bull appeared to be struggling for pace.

McLaren’s Lando Norris, who pushed Verstappen hard for victory in Imola last weekend and won in Miami the race before that, was fifth fastest, 0.675secs off the pace, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz sixth.

The second Aston Martin of Lance Stroll was seventh, ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, Williams’ Alex Albon and the Mercedes of George Russell.

Verstappen was one of a number of drivers who clipped the barriers – including his team-mate Sergio Perez at Massenet, Stroll and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine at the Swimming Pool – without major damage, although Stroll took no further part in the session after returning to the pits.

Verstappen sounded uncomfortable when talking to the team on the radio – in addition to his complaints in the second, he was talking about the car feeling “loose over the bumps” in the first session.

But the Dutchman showed glimpses of being as fast on the hard tyre on his race simulation run as Leclerc was on the medium on his.

Hamilton topped the first session earlier on Friday, with Verstappen down in 11th.