In the opening practice session for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Charles Leclerc posted the fastest lap, securing a one‑two finish for Ferrari with his teammate, Lewis Hamilton, slotting in second place. The session highlighted the impact of Ferrari's newly introduced engine upgrade, which the team chose to debut on their home turf after the FIA's recent power‑unit assessments indicated that their previous specification lagged behind the outputs of Red Bull and Mercedes.
Leclerc recorded a lap time of 1:23.008, a full 0.173 seconds quicker than Hamilton, while Mercedes' George Russell completed the top three, posting a best effort that was roughly a tenth of a second slower than the British driver. The Italian's performance was especially notable because both his and Hamilton's quickest laps were achieved on the medium‑compound tyre, a tyre that typically offers a balanced mix of grip and durability, whereas Russell's best effort came on the softer, theoretically faster compound. This suggests that the Ferrari package, combining the fresh power unit with a suite of chassis tweaks tailored for Monza's high‑speed layout, delivered a substantial performance boost across a range of tyre choices.
The session also featured Kimi Antonelli, the world championship leader, who despite having exceeded his allotted engine component usage for the season and therefore being forced to start the race from the back of the grid, managed to carve out a respectable fifth‑place lap time for Mercedes. Antonelli's position in the standings is currently 59 points ahead of both Russell and Hamilton, with Lando Norris of McLaren sitting 83 points behind the Italian in fourth place. Norris, who has claimed victory in the two most recent Grands Prix and is eager to defend his title, finished sixth, just behind Antonelli.
Ferrari's strategic decision to roll out the second of their two permitted engine upgrades at Monza was driven by the need to close the performance gap identified by the FIA. The team also introduced a collection of circuit‑specific aerodynamic and chassis modifications designed to maximise straight‑line speed and stability on the famed "Temple of Speed." These upgrades appeared to pay dividends, as evidenced by the fact that the top two times were set on the medium tyre, indicating a strong overall package rather than a reliance on the soft tyre's raw grip.
Mercedes, on the other hand, may have concealed additional pace during the session. Antonelli, knowing his starting position was already predetermined, could afford to treat the practice run as a low‑stakes exercise, potentially masking the true speed of the Mercedes package. If the team has been holding back performance for strategic reasons, they could still pose a serious threat in qualifying and the race itself. Red Bull's Liam Lawson delivered an encouraging fourth‑place lap in a Red Bull car that was fielded without either 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 took part in the session, allowing the team to give rookie drivers a chance to gain experience. Ayumu Iwasa, piloting another Red Bull entry, finished 17th, while Alpine's Paul Aron emerged as the top rookie, securing a tenth‑place lap.
Technical setbacks also featured in the day's narrative. Colton Herta's opportunity to drive for Cadillac was cut short by a mechanical issue, and Williams' British youngster Luke Browning placed 15th.
These incidents underline the unpredictable nature of practice sessions, where teams juggle development work, driver acclimatisation, and reliability checks. The weekend schedule is packed with supporting series and events.
On Friday, the day begins with the Formula 3 qualifying session at 12:55 pm, followed by the Formula 2 qualifying at 1:50 pm. The second practice for the Italian Grand Prix starts at 2:35 pm, leading into the F1 Show at 4:15 pm and the Team Bosses' press conference at 5:20 pm. Saturday's agenda includes the Formula 3 sprint race at 8:25 am, the third practice session for the Grand Prix at 11:15 am, the Formula 2 sprint at 1:10 pm, and the build‑up to qualifying at 2:15 pm, with the actual qualifying session kicking off at 3:00 pm. The day concludes with Ted's Qualifying Notebook at 5:00 pm.
Sunday's program features 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 main Grand Prix build‑up begins at 12:30 pm, followed by the Italian Grand Prix itself at 2:00 pm. The race will finish with the chequered flag at 4:00 pm, after which the Italian GP reaction segment airs at 5:00 pm, and Ted's Notebook wraps up the coverage. The qualifying session will also be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event.
Fans can catch all the action live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW, offering a contract‑free option that can be cancelled at any time. The combination of Ferrari's home‑race advantage, the fresh engine upgrade, and the finely tuned chassis package sets the stage for an exciting weekend at Monza, where the high‑speed demands of the circuit will test the limits of every team's technical development and driver skill.