Mercedes and Ferrari inseparable after Monza practice as McLaren and Red Bull lag

George Russell topped the second practice session at Monza, but the real story is how close the leading pack is. Once long runs are adjusted for fuel and tyres, Ferrari and Mercedes are dead level — Leclerc and Hamilton matched each other perfectly, with Russell just two hundredths behind and Kimi Antonelli a further two hundredths adrift.

Why it matters:

Monza's high-speed layout is unique, and energy management is a critical factor. Mercedes appears to be using more performance at the start of the lap, while Ferrari claws back time in the final sector. That split could define the fight for pole and the win, with both teams having a genuine shot.

The details:

• Sector battle: Russell's opening sector (27.044s) was second only to Gasly, while Ferrari lost 1.5-2 tenths there. Mercedes also led the middle sector, but Leclerc's final-sector 27.546s was two tenths quicker than Russell's — a clear sign of different energy deployment strategies.
• McLaren off the pace: The MCL40 is struggling on Monza's straights, sitting four tenths off over a single lap. Norris' long run was closer, just 0.19s behind, but the car is losing too much time in the final sector.
• Red Bull fourth at best: Despite having the benchmark internal combustion engine, Red Bull can't translate it to lap time here. The RB22 loses too much in the first two sectors and can't recover on the straights, leaving them 0.8s off in qualifying simulations.
• Midfield reshuffle: Racing Bulls still leads the midfield, but Audi is slipping. Hulkenberg was 1.42s per lap slower on his long run, behind Alpine, Williams and Haas. Aston Martin also struggled, with Stroll 3.94s off the pace and well behind Cadillac.

What's next:

Tyre degradation was minimal across all compounds, making a one-stop strategy the obvious choice for Sunday. But the competitive order remains genuinely unclear — a small mistake in qualifying could drop a frontrunner several places. Mercedes and Ferrari look set to fight for the top, with McLaren and Red Bull hoping to close the gap.