George Russell edged out Charles Leclerc to post the quickest lap in the second free‑practice session for the Italian Grand Prix, signalling that Mercedes were ready to answer Ferrari’s early‑week speed at the historic Monza circuit. The weekend carries added intrigue because championship‑leading teammate Kimi Antonelli will be forced to start from the back of the grid on Sunday after incurring a penalty for an engine change. This circumstance gives Russell a valuable opportunity to chip away at Ferrari’s 59‑point lead, provided he can convert his strong practice performance into a solid race weekend.
Ferrari had dominated the opening practice, securing the top two times after unveiling an upgraded power unit. However, the heat that continued to bake northern Italy on Saturday meant the second session would be a true test of tyre management and driver confidence. In those conditions, the British driver set a best lap of 1:22.559, beating Leclerc – who suffered a late‑session spin – by 0.120 seconds and edging out Antonelli by 0.141 seconds. Lewis Hamilton, who had been second fastest early in the run‑about, fell back to fifth place after McLaren’s Lando Norris slipped past him.
Norris, fresh from back‑to‑back victories, found the Monza layout – with its long straights and tight chicanes – a tougher match for the current McLaren package. He ultimately recorded a time 0.384 seconds shy of Russell’s, while teammate Oscar Piastri was another tenth of a second slower in sixth. The world champion expressed frustration after a mid‑session incident that he deemed "dangerous".
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll forced Hamilton off the racing line at the first chicane, prompting a stewards’ inquiry after the session concluded. Red Bull’s star driver Max Verstappen, who sat out the first practice to allow rookie Ayumu Iwasa to gain experience, returned for the second session. Verstappen was visibly dissatisfied with the balance of his RB22, managing only the ninth‑fastest time. His temporary teammate Liam Lawson posted the twelfth‑quickest lap.
Arvid Lindblad, driving the Red Bull‑owned Racing Bulls entry, topped the Red Bull contingent in seventh place, while Haas youngster Oliver Bearman secured eighth in an upgraded VF‑26 chassis. Although Russell’s lap did not guarantee pole position, it certainly set a positive tone for his weekend. He is aiming for his first Grand Prix pole and win since his triumph in Austria five races earlier. Sky Sports F1 analyst Martin Brundle praised the Briton, noting, "He looked good.
This is his big chance to close that deficit this weekend and show that he is very worthy of a world championship. What he desperately doesn’t want to have to do is fall into line a few races down the road and protect Kimi Antonelli if there’s an onslaught coming from McLaren or Ferrari at his championship lead.
These are key races now for George Russell." For Antonelli, the weekend is already compromised by the likely back‑row start. Consequently, his Friday programme focused more on long‑run performance than outright speed. "Today was a bit of a different day compared to usual," the young driver explained. "A lot more focused on long runs so it was a bit weird – not going to lie – but overall, it was a good day.
We gathered a lot of data and now looking forward to the next few days." Monza’s characteristic long straights provide ample overtaking chances, and Antonelli said he learned a great deal by shadowing the faster cars. "It’s a track where you can do so many different things," he added.
"It was interesting in the long run today running behind other cars to see what they were doing differently, where they were deploying compared to us. So it was very interesting.
We have gathered a lot of data and now we look forward to tomorrow." The schedule for the weekend is packed. On Saturday, September 5, the day begins with the Formula 3 Sprint at 8:25 am, followed by the third practice session for the Italian Grand Prix at 11:15 am (the session itself starts at 11:30 am). The afternoon sees the Formula 2 Sprint at 1:10 pm, then the qualifying build‑up at 2:15 pm, and finally the official qualifying session at 3:00 pm, with the qualifying notebook released at 5:00 pm.
Sunday, September 6, kicks off 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 will conclude with the chequered flag at 4:00 pm, followed by post‑race reaction and a final notebook at 5:00 pm. All qualifying action will also be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event.
Formula 1 returns to Monza for Ferrari’s home event, with live coverage on Sky Sports F1. Fans can stream the coverage via NOW, enjoying a contract‑free, cancellable service that lets them watch the action in real time.