Lewis Hamilton led teammate Charles Leclerc in an impressive one-two when Ferrari started a flying start to their Italian Grand Prix in practice one at Monza.
One year from Leclerc’s emotional victory in front of the Tifosi for the Homemade at Monza, Ferrari’s car impressed right away with the fast low-downforce conditions required by F1’s ‘Temple of Speed’.
Leclerc had originally proven the faster of the two Ferraris and led the time tip until the final minutes of the session, as Hamilton did not cuddle a 1: 20,177 to go a little over a tenth faster, ensuring that the British marked his debut hour on track as a Ferrari driver in Monza in an eye-catching way.
Hamilton already knows that he will start Sunday’s race from a maximum of sixth than the sixth due to a lattice penalty that was transferred from last week in Zandvoort for a yellow flag over in front of this race, but will certainly be bent by his strong start on a track where he is the joint record owner for victories.
“He needs to enjoy these moments,” said Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok.
“Maybe they have their engines showed up, maybe they don’t have it, it will all be clear tomorrow.
“But it’s a good start to the weekend of Hamilton. Enjoy it.”
Williams can also be happy with their own flying start to the event on a track they have gone well on in the recent past after Carlos Sainz ended the third fastest, albeit 0.5s back on Hamilton.
When Max Verstappen fourth in Red Bull, who had made the first medium-three-to-run in the session, the dominant championship leaders started McLaren unusually well from the pace.
Lando Norris was sixth and 0.9 years back on Hamilton after difficulties on his soft-three races, including a trip through the gravel at the High-Speed ​​Lesmos.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri sat out of the opening session as McLaren gave another excursion of the season to Ireland’s Alex Dunne. The F2 front runner ended 16. Fastest, half a second behind Norris.
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Martin Brundle takes F1 fans through all the best ways to win the Italian Grand Prix, where in 2024 Charles Leclerc won at Ferrari’s home ground.
Italy’s Kimi Antonelli was a solid fifth fastest at the beginning of his first full home-ground Grand Prix, but Mercedes teammate George Russell, who was the eighth fastest, ended the session by stopping next to the field.
“It was a hydraulic problem for George and the engine shut down to protect everything,” confirmed the Mercedes Team Boss Toto Wolff to Sky Sports F1.
Antonelli, then in F2, crashed on parabolica within minutes of his F1 debut when he handed out a practice, an outlet of the team at his homemade event last year.
Williams ended with both their cars comfortably in the top 10 when Alex Albon took seventh, with Fernando Alonso ninth for Aston Martin and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar 10.
Hadjar brought the red flag into the closure 20 minutes after driving wide at Ascari Chicane and brought gravel on the circuit.
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Sky Sports’ Karun Chandhok is in Skypad to explain why Charles Leclerc was not punished for overtaking a red flag in FP1 if the Italian Grand Prix.
Leclerc was briefly under investigation that had overtaken Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg just after the red flags came out, but stewards quickly decided that there was no further action justified.
It was apparently because Ferrari did not have time to interrupt the pass. Leclerc said over team radio that he “broke as hard as possible when I saw the red flag”, but the speed difference meant he still sailed past Sauber.
Alpine Reserve Paul Aron got his first Friday race of the season of his parent team after he was previously borrowed to Sauber for two P1 sessions this year, and turned 20 after a previous spin on the second Chicane.
Sky Sports F1’s Italian GP plan
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Look back on some of the most dramatic moments that have taken place on the Italian Grand Prix
Friday 5. September
At. 13.55: F3 qualification
14.50: F2 qualification
15.35: Italian Grand Prix -Practice Two (Session Starts at 4pm)
17.15: The F1 Show
Saturday 6 September
8.10: F3 Sprint
11.15: Italian Grand Prix Practice Three (Session starts at 11:30 pm)
13.10: F2 Sprint
14.15: Italian Grand Prix-qualifying structure
15:00: Italian Grand Prix qualification*
17:00: Teds qualifying notebook
Sunday 7th September
7.10: F3 Feature Race
8.40: F2 Feature Race
10.40: Porsche Supercup Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Italian GP building
14:00: The Italian Grand Prix*
16:00: Closed Flag: Italian GP -Reague
17:00: Teds Notebook
*Also on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula One’s European season ends with the Italian Grand Prix – watch the entire Monza weekend live on Sky Sports F1 from Friday. Stream Sky Sports With Now – No Contract, Cancel anytime