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 for Ferrari after the team introduced a new engine upgrade. Leclerc recorded a lap time of 1:23.008, edging Hamilton by 0.173 seconds, while Mercedes driver George Russell trailed another tenth of a second behind in third place. The session also highlighted the situation of world championship contender Kimi Antonelli, who, after exceeding his allotted number of power‑unit components for the season, will be forced to start the race from the back of the grid.
Despite this penalty, Antonelli managed a respectable fifth‑place time for Mercedes, positioning him ahead of both Russell and Hamilton in the overall points hierarchy, where he sits 59 points clear of the two drivers. McLaren’s Lando Norris, who has enjoyed a resurgence by winning the previous two races and is eager to defend his title, posted the sixth‑fastest time, sitting just behind Antonelli. Norris currently trails the championship leader by 83 points, placing him fourth in the standings.
Ferrari chose to unveil the second of the two engine upgrades they are permitted to use this season at their home race, a strategic decision prompted by FIA data indicating that their power unit had lagged behind those of Red Bull and Mercedes earlier in the year. In addition to the power‑unit enhancement, the Scuderia brought a suite of chassis modifications specifically tuned for Monza’s high‑speed layout, aiming to extract maximum aerodynamic efficiency on the long straights and sweeping corners. What makes the practice results even more striking is that Leclerc and Hamilton both set their best times on the medium‑compound tyre, whereas Russell’s quickest lap came on the theoretically faster soft tyre. This suggests that the new Ferrari package is delivering strong performance across a range of tyre selections, while Mercedes may still have untapped speed that was not fully displayed due to Antonelli’s lack of pressure to qualify higher.
Red Bull’s Liam Lawson delivered a solid fourth‑place finish, driving for a Red Bull entry that did not feature any of the team’s official 2026 drivers. Lawson was standing in for Isack Hadjar, who missed the weekend after sustaining a wrist injury during the summer break.
Max Verstappen also participated in the session, allowing several rookies to gain track time. Among them, Ayumu Iwasa, piloting Verstappen’s Red Bull, finished 17th, while Alpine’s Paul Aron emerged as the top rookie, securing a tenth‑place lap. Cadillac’s representative, Colton Herta, was forced to abandon his run due to a technical glitch, and British driver Luke Browning placed 15th for Williams.
The practice schedule for the weekend is packed with action across the support categories. On Friday, September 4, the day begins with the F3 qualifying session at 12:55 pm, followed by the F2 qualifying at 1:50 pm, and the first F1 practice at 2:35 pm. The afternoon continues with the second F1 practice at 3:00 pm, the F1 Show at 4:15 pm, and the Team Bosses’ press conference at 5:20 pm.
Saturday, September 5, features the F3 sprint at 8:25 am, the third F1 practice at 11:15 am, the F2 sprint at 1:10 pm, and the build‑up to qualifying at 2:15 pm, before the official qualifying session starts at 3:00 pm, followed by Ted’s Qualifying Notebook at 5:00 pm. Sunday, September 6, rounds out the weekend with the F3 feature race at 7:10 am, the F2 feature race at 8:40 am, the Porsche Supercup race at 10:40 am, and the main Grand Prix build‑up at 12:30 pm. The Italian Grand Prix itself kicks off at 2:00 pm, with the chequered flag ceremony and post‑race reaction at 4:00 pm, and Ted’s final notebook at 5:00 pm.
The qualifying session will also be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event. Fans can follow the live action of the Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari’s home race, on Sky Sports F1. The broadcast is also available via the NOW streaming service, offering a contract‑free option that can be cancelled at any time, ensuring easy access for viewers worldwide. Overall, the practice session underscored Ferrari’s renewed competitiveness after the introduction of their upgraded power unit and aerodynamic tweaks.
While Mercedes remains a strong contender, the early pace shown by Leclerc and Hamilton indicates that the Scuderia may be poised to challenge for podium positions and possibly the race win at Monza. The weekend promises further intrigue as drivers adapt to the new components, and the championship battle continues to unfold across the iconic high‑speed circuit.