Hamilton welcomes Ferrari challenge: It means more competition

Ferrari's strong pace during Friday practice for the F1 Monaco GP has certainly caught the attention of Lewis Hamilton, with the Brit admitting he was surprised by how much they've improved. Carlos Sainz finished second in FP1, with the Scuderia continuing their strong form in FP2 as Charles Leclerc finished with the fastest time ahead of the Spaniard. "Generally it just feels really cool to be back on track," Hamilton told Sky Sports. "It's rapid, this track, it's absolutely mesmerising, every time you get the opportunity to drive. So yeah, I've generally enjoyed today. It's a challenge, naturally. "I think the Ferraris are really strong, surprising to see them improve so much, but that's great. It means more competition." When asked whether Ferrari's pace was real or not, Hamilton believes so. "I'm seeing what you're seeing," Hamilton added. "I'm generally just focused on my job. It looks like it. We'll see." Hamilton finished FP2 in third spot, and although he was happy with how his Mercedes felt, he knows there is still more to do ahead of Saturday qualifying. "I think the car is good, we've made some decent steps with the balance of the car," Hamilton said. "I'm generally really happy. I've got some changes I'll probably make this evening as we analyse today. It's going to be close [in qualifying]."