Ferrari Dominates Home FP1 at Italian GP with Hamilton-Leclerc 1-2

Why it matters

Ferrari kicked off their home race in Monza with a strong 1-2 finish in Free Practice 1 (FP1), thrilling the Tifosi. Lewis Hamilton, in his first Italian GP as a Ferrari driver, topped the session, signaling a potentially strong weekend for the team.

The details

• Hamilton set a 1m20.117s lap time, 0.169s faster than teammate Charles Leclerc. Both drivers used soft tyres, setting their best times late in the session.
• Max Verstappen initially led on medium tyres but dropped to fourth as several drivers switched to softs.
• Carlos Sainz impressed, securing third place for Williams. This is a strong performance at a circuit where Williams has traditionally performed well.
• The session saw a brief red flag after Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar scattered gravel following an off at Ascari. George Russell triggered a virtual safety car (VSC) in the final minute due to a hydraulic issue, and his track rejoining actions are under investigation by the stewards.

What's next

Ferrari will aim to maintain their momentum in FP2 as teams fine-tune their setups. The investigation into George Russell's incident will also be a key point of interest.