In the opening practice session for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Charles Leclerc claimed the fastest lap, followed closely by his teammate Lewis Hamilton, delivering a dominant one‑two finish for Ferrari after the team rolled out a new engine upgrade. Leclerc clocked an impressive 1:23.008, putting him 0.173 seconds ahead of Hamilton, while Mercedes’ George Russell trailed another tenth of a second behind in third place.
The session also highlighted the challenges faced by world championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who, after exceeding his allotted engine components for the season, will have to start the race from the back of the grid regardless of his qualifying performance. Antonelli managed to secure fifth place for Mercedes, demonstrating that the car still possesses strong pace even under the weight of a penalty. Behind him, McLaren’s Lando Norris, who has recently captured two consecutive victories and is keen to defend his title, finished sixth, just a step behind his teammate. In the championship standings, Antonelli currently leads both Russell and Hamilton by 59 points, while Norris sits 83 points adrift of the Italian driver, occupying fourth place overall.
This points gap underscores the importance of the upcoming race for those chasing the title. Ferrari chose to debut the second of the two engine upgrades they are permitted to use this season at their home event, a strategic decision prompted by FIA data indicating that their power unit had lagged behind the outputs of Red Bull and Mercedes. In addition to the power‑unit enhancement, the Scuderia introduced a suite of chassis modifications specifically tailored for Monza’s high‑speed layout, aiming to extract maximum aerodynamic efficiency and stability on the long straights. What makes the practice results even more noteworthy is that both Leclerc’s and Hamilton’s quickest laps were set on the medium‑compound tyre, which is generally considered a balanced option rather than the outright fastest.
By contrast, Russell’s best time came on the theoretically quicker soft tyre, suggesting that Ferrari’s package may have provided a broader performance window across tyre selections. Given Antonelli’s guaranteed back‑of‑the‑grid start, it is plausible that Mercedes still harbours untapped speed that was not fully displayed in the session.
The team may have been conserving tyre life or focusing on long‑run consistency, knowing that a single fast lap would not alter Antonelli’s starting position. The practice also featured a strong showing from Red Bull’s junior driver Liam Lawson, who posted a fourth‑place time despite the team fielding a lineup that did not include either of its official 2026 drivers. Lawson was standing in for Isack Hadjar, who missed the weekend after sustaining a wrist injury during the sport’s summer break.
Max Verstappen, the reigning champion, was among four drivers who ceded their seats to rookies for the session, allowing emerging talent to gain valuable track time. Ayumu Iwasa, driving Verstappen’s Red Bull, managed to place 17th, while Paul Aron delivered the best rookie performance with a tenth‑place finish for Alpine. Meanwhile, Colton Herta’s attempt to represent Cadillac was cut short by a technical fault, and British youngster Luke Browning ended the session 15th for Williams. The weekend schedule is packed with action across the support categories.
On Friday, September 4, the day begins with the Formula 3 qualifying session at 12:55 pm, followed by the Formula 2 qualifying at 1:50 pm, and then the second practice for the Italian Grand Prix at 2:35 pm. The F1 Show kicks off at 3:00 pm, with the Team Bosses’ Press Conference slated for 4:15 pm, and the day wraps up with Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 5:20 pm. Saturday, September 5, sees the Formula 3 Sprint at 8:25 am, the third practice session for the Grand Prix at 11:15 am (starting at 11:30 am), the Formula 2 Sprint at 1:10 pm, and the build‑up to the Grand Prix qualifying at 2:15 pm. The main qualifying session for the Italian Grand Prix starts at 3:00 pm, with the results broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event, and concludes with Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 5:00 pm.
Sunday, September 6, the schedule continues with the Formula 3 Feature Race at 7:10 am, the Formula 2 Feature Race at 8:40 am, and the Porsche Supercup Race at 10:40 am. The Grand Prix build‑up begins at 12:30 pm, leading into the Italian Grand Prix itself at 2:00 pm. The race finishes with the Chequered Flag ceremony at 4:00 pm, followed by a reaction segment at 5:00 pm, and finally Ted’s Notebook for the weekend’s recap. Fans can follow the live action on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available through the NOW platform, offering a contract‑free, cancel‑anytime option for viewers who prefer online access.
The combination of Ferrari’s home‑track advantage, the newly introduced engine and chassis upgrades, and the strategic decisions made by rival teams set the stage for an exciting and potentially pivotal race in the championship battle at Monza.