F1 Monza: Hamilton's Ferrari Hopes Rise, McLaren Leads Friday Practice, Verstappen Reacts to Pérez's Father

Why it matters: Ferrari and McLaren set the pace on Friday at Monza, hinting at a fierce battle, while off-track drama involving the Verstappens and Pérez's father adds to the F1 narrative.#### Hamilton's Encouraging Start with FerrariLewis Hamilton had a strong start to his first weekend as a Ferrari driver at Monza, topping the morning session. Though he finished fifth in the afternoon, just a tenth behind his teammate, Charles Leclerc, Hamilton expressed comfort with the SF-25. The car's strong performance on high-speed circuits like Monza suggests that the Tifosi might have reason for increased optimism.### The race for pole: McLaren vs. FerrariMcLaren's Lando Norris asserted dominance in the afternoon session, leading FP2 after Ferrari's initial one-two. Leclerc finished a mere 0.083 seconds behind Norris in qualifying simulations.Long-run paces also offered insights: * Norris showed strong race pace, averaging 1:23.697 over 11 laps on medium tires. * Oscar Piastri was 0.305 seconds slower on average over 9 laps on mediums. * Leclerc was competitive with a 1:23.773 average over 4 laps on soft tires, just 0.076 seconds slower than Norris. * Lewis Hamilton's long run on hard tires was 0.471 seconds slower than Norris, averaging 1:24.167 over seven laps.### Jos Verstappen Slams Pérez's Father's ClaimsJos Verstappen sharply criticized Antonio Pérez Garibay, Sergio Pérez's father, for recent remarks. Pérez Garibay had claimed Red Bull did not provide his son with the car he deserved to win the 2024 championship, suggesting Pérez was crucial to Red Bull's and Max Verstappen's success and that he never received equal equipment. Jos Verstappen's blunt response was: "What an idiot."