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The Briton, excused media duties following the
death of Mercedes' non-executive chairman and triple world
champion Niki Lauda, lapped the treacherous street circuit with
a best time of one minute 12.106 seconds.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen was second fastest, just 0.059 behind
Hamilton, with Valtteri Bottas third in the other Mercedes.
Charles Leclerc, hoping to become the first Monegasque to stand
on his home podium since Louis Chiron in 1950, was fourth
fastest for Ferrari with four times champion team mate Sebastian
Vettel fifth.
Hamilton leads Bottas in the championship by seven points with
the Mercedes drivers winning the first five races in one-two
formation.
Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren all carried tributes to Lauda on
their cars with Mercedes team members also wearing black
armbands.
Vettel wore a helmet modeled on one of Lauda's, with the
Austrian's name on. Two of Lauda's three titles were won with
the Italian team.
The opening session was clear of crashes, although there were
the inevitable near-misses on a tight and twisty circuit where
cars skim the metal barriers and brush the unforgiving walls.
Red Bull's Pierre Gasly had a close escape at the exit to the
first swimming pool chicane, but ended up sixth fastest, while
Robert Kubica spun at the exit to Casino Square but came to a
halt without serious damage.
McLaren had a difficult session with Carlos Sainz failing to set
a lap time and Lando Norris only 15th.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
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