Free Practice at Monza: Ferrari Surprises Everyone

The first free practice session of the Italian Grand Prix turned into a memorable hour for Ferrari at Monza. Charles Leclerc finished at the top of the timesheets, setting the fastest lap of 1:23.008 on medium tires and holding the lead until the checkered flag. Behind him, completing a surprising one-two finish for Ferrari, was Lewis Hamilton, while George Russell finished third in his Mercedes. Kimi Antonelli finished fifth, focusing more on race pace than anything else, as he’ll have to start from the back row due to a penalty.

Ferrari’s performance sends a strong signal, coming in a particularly eventful session full of technical insights. Monza hosted an FP1 session that was different from usual, with as many as four rookies on the track: Ayumu Iwasa behind the wheel of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, Luke Browning in the Williams in place of Alex Albon, Paul Aron in Pierre Gasly’s Alpine, and Colton Herta in Sergio Perez’s Cadillac. Liam Lawson, meanwhile, is still driving for Red Bull as a replacement for the injured Isack Hadjar, while Yuki Tsunoda is back behind the wheel of the Racing Bulls.

Leclerc set his fastest lap just as many drivers were switching to soft tires for qualifying simulations. The Monegasque driver, however, opted for the medium tires and still set a time that was out of everyone’s reach. This display of consistency immediately sparked enthusiasm among the fans in the stands at the Temple of Speed.

The session, which began at 12:30 p.m. under a scorching sun, saw heavy traffic from the very first minutes. Iwasa complained about having trouble finding a clear line, even going so far as to report Aron for blocking his path. Before Ferrari’s standout performance, it was Russell who had led the pack with a 1:23.802; then the two Ferrari cars overtook him.