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Charles Leclerc consistently criticized his Ferrari’s behavior in his first practice at the Monaco Grand Prix, but he maintained the pace in the process.

Leclerc, who won his first home race last year, repeatedly claimed that Ferrari was “nowhere” and that there was “something wrong with the car.”

However, he finished the session ahead of Max Verstappen from Red Bull by 0.16 seconds.

Lando Norris of McLaren came in third, 0. 326 seconds off the pace, with Alex Albon of Williams coming in fourth and Oscar Piastri, championship leader, in fifth place.

Leclerc had a contented session despite being pessimistic about Ferrari’s hopes for Monaco.

After the Canadian veered into the Ferrari’s path during a slow lap, he immediately took the escape road at Mirabeau on his first lap, which was followed by a rear collision with Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin at the Loews hairpin.

Lewis Hamilton was the driver who had the most impact on a second significant incident, when he crashed over the inside of the swimming pool’s exit and flew over the kerbs in the run-off area.

After George Russell, Carlos Sainz, Carlos Sainz, and Pierre Gasly, the seven-time champion, finished ninth in his Ferrari.

Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin finished in the top 10, joining Adrian Newey, the team’s new managing technical partner, who was in the garage with his famous notebook and watched the action for the first time.

Norris and Piastri both slammed barriers into Sainte Devote’s escape route at various points throughout the session without causing any damage to their vehicles.

In the second round of redundancies since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s purchase of Manchester United last year, some employees at the Carrington training facility have been informed that they will lose their jobs.

According to club insiders, the actual procedure has been going on for a while and could result in 200 staff losing their jobs. Most members are already aware whether or not they will stay at the club.

To prevent disruptions to Wednesday’s Europa League final against Tottenham, BBC Sport has been informed that some First Team employees were not informed of their fate until Friday.

Up to 200 jobs are anticipated to be lost in the areas of sports science, medicine, and scouting, according to the forecasted departments for potential affected areas.

Staff in the affected areas are being informed now that the game is over. According to sources, those employees claimed they had previously been informed that their positions would be clarified later.

It entails staff being informed whether they will stay at United or not when specific roles in those positions are being cut back.

Given that this latest information was made so shortly after Tottenham’s Europa League final defeat, it is said that the club’s morale is low.

Prior to the initial cut-off period last year, United had about 1,100 employees.

During the initial round of redundancies, about £8 million to £10 million was saved for the club from the redundancies.

Omar Berrada, the company’s CEO, reported earlier this year that between 150 and 200 more redundancies were planned.

United will be without European football for the second time since 1990, leaving a £100 million hole in the club’s finances as a result of their defeat at Bilbao.

Since purchasing a minority stake in the club in February 2024, Ratcliffe has embarked on a number of cost-saving initiatives.

Sir Alex Ferguson and other club ambassadors have had their roles cut, and staff canteens have been replaced with free fruit in place of the offer to staff.

Ferguson and Ratcliffe were pictured alongside them at Wednesday’s final in Bilbao, along with fellow co-owner Avram Glazer.

Several cars were transported to Bilbao before the final for the use of Ratcliffe and senior club officials while they were in Spain, according to sources close to BBC Sport.

Following Spurs’ defeat, the club adhered to its original plans to hold a barbecue at Carrington for the first-team squad and family members.

French Open 2025

Location: Roland Garros, May 25 – June

In the middle of a busy season, one of Jack Draper’s most important lessons is that he can mentally recharge.

When the French Open begins on Sunday, the British No. 1 will be in fifth place, having established himself as a force at the top of the men’s game.

The Englishman, 23, who returns to Paris looking to prove a point after falling in the first round last year, has experienced a steep rise.

However, more success can lead to more fatigue, as Draper has frequently pointed out.

After a brief period of rest in London, Draper claims to feel “refreshed” before Roland Garros.

He told BBC Sport, “If I go home and have a full day off, I’ll be normal and go to my neighborhood cafe and a greasy spoon in Putney.”

It’s the typical breakfast for athletes, not the “athlete’s breakfast,” according to the statement. “Beans, sausages, hash browns, all of that tackle.”

I’ll probably travel to London, spend time with friends, and spend time with my family, who I never see.

He made a more recent clay-court debut, reaching the Madrid final at the start of the month, and demonstrating his improved play.

After a brief recovery before a second Masters competition in Rome, Draper made it to the quarter-finals, which further highlights his potent playing on clay.

After fading in the decisive moments, he ultimately lost to French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz.

After a demanding May challenge for two of the biggest titles outside of the four majors, Draper finally acknowledged his level was “in and out” in Rome.

“I’m at the point where I’m trying to adapt to being “on” all the time, which is what I want to do,” Draper said.

“But it’s not simple,” he said. You must learn how to handle that and do everything you can.

I’ve always been someone who is quite wired; I’m someone who consistently strives to accomplish things.

Draper traveled to Paris earlier this week, where he met Alcaraz for an hour on Thursday during Court Philippe Chatrier.

However, he will face left-handed Italian Mattia Bellucci, who Draper first played when they were playing under-12s tournaments, and he will face a number of more well-known players in the draw.

Jannik Sinner, the world’s number one, is a standout name for a potential quarter-final opponent, but Draper may have to wait until then to defeat Alex de Minaur, Joao Fonseca, Hubert Hurkacz, Jakub Mensik, or Alex de Minaur.

Draper, who wants to make it to the last 16 for a third major in a row, continued, “I never really look through the draw.”

When I consider my first-round opponent, I realize that all of these players deserve to be here.

There are many people out there who are desperate to beat me right now because it’s a challenging sport.