Red cars, red grandstands, first practice
The Scuderia gave the tifosi exactly what they came for on Friday. Charles Leclerc topped opening practice for the Italian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton put the second Ferrari behind him, and George Russell had to settle for third in the Mercedes.
It was brutally hot at Monza, and the two Ferraris were quick from their opening runs rather than sneaking to the front on a late lap. Qualifying is on Saturday. The signal was not subtle.
Esteban Ocon, the only French driver on track, ended the session 18th for Haas.
Try it for $0.99.
Thirty years since Schumacher won here
Both cars are running a special livery this weekend, and both drivers are wearing race suits in the same colours. It marks 30 years since Michael Schumacher’s 1996 win at Monza. He would go on to take five world titles and 72 Grand Prix victories with Ferrari between 1996 and 2006.
The championship gives the weekend a harder edge. Kimi Antonelli leads by 59 points from Russell and Hamilton, and the Mercedes driver is serving a penalty here. For anyone hoping to reel him in, chances like this do not come round often.
Leclerc has stopped talking about this year
In an interview published before the weekend, Leclerc pointed at 2027 as the season he can win a title. He has been at Ferrari since 2019. The wait continues.
Monza is round 13 of the 2026 campaign, and still the fastest track on the calendar, with cars breaking 350 km/h. Qualifying Saturday, race Sunday.
Discover the latest F1 news on our mathodds website and app!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply