Lewis Hamilton Makes Grand Entry at Monza on Ducati Superbike, Tops FP1

Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, made a spectacular entrance to the Italian Grand Prix, arriving at Monza aboard a Ducati Panigale V4 S superbike. This distinctive entrance, with the bike adorned in Italian tricolore livery, marks his first race at the historic track with Ferrari.

Why it matters

Hamilton's high-profile arrival sets a dramatic tone for the Italian GP, especially as he joins Ferrari next season. His immediate performance in practice sessions also signals strong contention despite a grid penalty.

The details

• Practice Performance: Hamilton topped the FP1 timesheets with a 1m20.117s lap, leading current championship leader Oscar Piastri by 0.169 seconds. Teammate Charles Leclerc secured a Ferrari 1-2. He finished fifth in FP2, which was topped by McLaren's Lando Norris.
• Grid Penalty: The Briton will start with a five-place grid penalty due to a yellow flag infringement from the Dutch Grand Prix.
• The Superbike: The Ducati Panigale V4 S, featuring its iconic V4 front fairing and twin LED headlights, was dressed in the Italian flag's red, white, and green colors. It houses an 1103cc Desmosedici Stradale V4 engine, producing 215 horsepower and 120.9 Nm of torque, and can accelerate to 62 mph in just 3.1 seconds.

What he said

"P1 was a good session, P2 we made some changes and the car was a bit worse. The good thing is we can go back on it," Hamilton stated after Friday's sessions. "Lots of positives to take from today and we will do some work overnight and I hope tomorrow we can be better."