In the opening practice session for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Charles Leclerc emerged as the fastest driver, delivering a one‑two finish for his team alongside Lewis Hamilton. The session highlighted Ferrari's strong performance following the debut of a new engine upgrade at their home circuit. Leclerc recorded a lap time of 1:23.008, finishing 0.173 seconds ahead of Hamilton, while Mercedes' George Russell trailed by an additional tenth of a second to claim third place. The weekend also featured a notable appearance by world‑championship hopeful Kimi Antonelli, who, despite having exceeded his allotted engine component usage for the season, will start the race from the back of the grid.
Antonelli managed to secure fifth place in the standings for the session, edging out Russell and Hamilton by a narrow margin of 59 points. His performance, however, was largely a formality, as his qualifying position will not affect his starting slot due to the penalty. McLaren's Lando Norris, who has claimed victory in the previous two races and is eager to defend his title, finished sixth, just behind Antonelli.
Norris currently sits 83 points behind the Italian driver in the championship hierarchy, placing him fourth overall. The session also underscored the strategic decisions made by Ferrari, who chose to introduce the second of their two permitted engine upgrades at Monza. This move came after the FIA's technical assessments indicated that Ferrari's power unit lagged behind those supplied by Red Bull and Mercedes. In addition to the power‑unit upgrade, Ferrari brought a suite of chassis modifications specifically tailored for the high‑speed demands of the Monza circuit.
These aerodynamic tweaks were intended to improve straight‑line stability and cornering grip, allowing the Scuderia to extract maximum performance on the track's long straights and sweeping bends. The effectiveness of these upgrades was evident, as both Leclerc and Hamilton set their quickest laps on the medium‑compound tyres, while Russell's best effort came on the theoretically faster soft compound, suggesting that the medium tyre was offering superior grip under the prevailing conditions.
Mercedes, on the other hand, may have concealed some of its true pace. Antonelli, aware that his qualifying result would not influence his grid position, could afford to run a relaxed lap, potentially masking the full speed of the Mercedes package. This raises the possibility that the team possesses more outright speed than what was displayed during the session.
Red Bull also featured prominently in the practice results. Liam Lawson, stepping in for the injured Isack Hadjar, posted an encouraging fourth‑place finish for the Red Bull team, which was operating without its official 2026 drivers for this session.
Lawson's performance demonstrated the depth of talent within the Red Bull stable and provided valuable data for the team as they continue to develop their 2026 car. Max Verstappen, who was among four drivers making way for rookie participation, also contributed to the session's varied line‑up.
Among the younger drivers, Ayumu Iwasa placed 17th in Verstappen's Red Bull, while Paul Aron delivered the best rookie effort by finishing tenth for Alpine. Colton Herta's attempt to drive for Cadillac was cut short due to a technical issue, and British driver Luke Browning secured 15th place for Williams.
The practice schedule for the weekend is packed with supporting series. 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 airs at 3:00 pm, and the Team Bosses' press conference follows at 4:15 pm, with the final segment, 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, and the Formula 2 sprint at 1:10 pm. The qualifying build‑up starts at 2:15 pm, leading into the main qualifying session for the Italian Grand Prix at 3:00 pm, with a post‑qualifying analysis in Ted's Qualifying Notebook at 5:00 pm. Sunday, September 6, the schedule includes 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, followed by the race itself at 2:00 pm. The chequered flag ceremony and race reaction are slated for 4:00 pm, with Ted's final notebook entry at 5:00 pm.
The qualifying session will also be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event. Fans can watch the action live on Sky Sports F1, with streaming available via NOW without a long‑term contract, allowing viewers to cancel at any time. The Italian Grand Prix promises an exciting showdown at Ferrari's home track, where the combination of upgraded power units, bespoke chassis tweaks, and strategic tyre choices could shape the outcome of the race and influence the championship battle moving forward.