Leclerc Outpaces Hamilton and Russell in Italian GP's Opening Practice
Charles Leclerc led the way for Ferrari in the first practice session at the Italian Grand Prix, setting the fastest time ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes' George Russell rounded out the top three in a session that saw several rookies taking to the track.
Charles Leclerc set the pace in the first practice session of the Italian Grand Prix weekend, leading a Ferrari 1-2 with teammate Lewis Hamilton close behind. George Russell secured third for Mercedes, as the session unfolded in sunny Monza.
During the hour-long session, Leclerc clocked a fastest lap of 1m 23.008s on medium tyres, a time that remained unmatched. The circuit was bustling with activity, featuring several rookies making their mark, including Ayumu Iwasa in Max Verstappen's Red Bull and Luke Browning replacing Alex Albon at Williams.
Notably, Liam Lawson continued his role as a stand-in for the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull, giving Yuki Tsunoda a chance to race for Racing Bulls. Iwasa led the pack out in the warm Italian sun, with most drivers starting on hard tyres.
Traffic was a common complaint, particularly among the rookies. Iwasa expressed frustration over Paul Aron's Alpine blocking his line, while Russell initially set the benchmark with a 1m 23.802s, outpacing Lando Norris.
Mid-session, Colton Herta's Cadillac came to a stop due to a suspected hydraulic issue, prompting a Virtual Safety Car and a brief red flag. Once running resumed, Norris was quickest with a 1m 23.719s, before Russell and then Leclerc bettered his time.
Leclerc's lap, a display of Ferrari's prowess, delighted the Tifosi. Hamilton improved to second, just 0.173s off Leclerc, while Russell was 0.304s adrift in third. Lawson impressed with a fourth-place finish, followed by Kimi Antonelli in Mercedes and Norris.
As the session concluded, the top ten was filled by Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad, Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto in the Alpine, and Aron. Oscar Piastri sat in 11th, ahead of Tsunoda and Audi's Nico Hulkenberg.
The session was not without its dramas, with Tsunoda airing grievances about Aron's track positioning. Meanwhile, Herta's day ended with only five laps under his belt due to his car's technical failure.
Teams now have a brief window to analyze their data before the second practice session begins later in the afternoon.