Lewis Hamilton set the pace in the opening practice session for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, leading a Ferrari 1-2 ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc in a dramatic and sun-soaked start to the weekend. The seven-time world champion posted the fastest time late in the session on soft tyres, overcoming a brief red flag interruption and a challenging track to delight the Tifosi at Ferrari’s home race.
The Briton, who will serve a five-place grid penalty this weekend following an installation lap infraction at Zandvoort, posted a 1m 20.117s in the final five minutes of the session on soft Pirelli tyres. His time proved enough to lead Leclerc by 0.169s, much to the delight of the Tifosi in the grandstands.
The perfect start to his first weekend in red at Monza
Ride onboard with Lewis Hamilton as he posts the fastest time in FP1 #F1 #ItalianGP @ScuderiaFerrari pic.twitter.com/uIITtiwLjp
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Session Conditions And Red Flag Interruption
Running took place under clear skies, with the session briefly interrupted by a red flag caused by Isack Hadjar, who ran off through Ascari and dragged gravel across the track. The incident halted proceedings just past the halfway point but caused minimal disruption to most.
There were some fresh faces in the paddock as Alex Dunne and Paul Aron took the wheel for McLaren and Alpine, respectively. Dunne filled in for Oscar Piastri, while Aron replaced Franco Colapinto. Their participation forms part of the requirement for full-time drivers to step aside for rookies, defined as those with no more than two Grand Prix starts, during two practice sessions over the season.
F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/pmRyNi6DzG
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Early Track Incidents And Challenging Conditions
Lando Norris was the first to explore the run-off at Turn 1, while both Leclerc and Nico Hulkenberg also had moments at the opening chicane, with a tailwind contributing to tricky braking conditions on the still-green surface.
The early pace was set by Norris and Alex Albon, who dipped below the 1m 22s mark within the opening 10 minutes. Max Verstappen, running mediums, initially moved ahead with a 1m 21.166s, later improving to a 1m 20.751s. Albon remained competitive on the hard compound, impressively clocking a 1m 21.073s.
Verstappen’s Grip Issues On Soft Tyres
Verstappen’s brief stint on the softs yielded a minor improvement, but the reigning world champion reported persistent grip issues over the radio.
Following the red flag, Leclerc momentarily took the top spot with a 1m 20.286s before Hamilton responded with what would stand as the quickest lap of the hour.
Top Performers And Session Standings
Carlos Sainz, running for Williams, finished third, ahead of Verstappen and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. Norris ended sixth, nearly a second adrift, followed by Albon in seventh.
George Russell’s session ended prematurely as his Mercedes came to a halt on track in the final minute, triggering a Virtual Safety Car. He finished eighth, with Fernando Alonso and Hadjar rounding out the top ten.
Gabriel Bortoleto led Kick Sauber team-mate Hülkenberg, followed by the Racing Bulls duo of Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda. Lance Stroll was next in the order, ahead of Dunne, Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly, Oliver Bearman, and Aron, who was two seconds off Hamilton’s benchmark in last position.
The session provided valuable data for teams ahead of what promises to be a closely contested weekend at the Temple of Speed.