Lewis Hamilton topped FP1 with Ferrari’s home one–two before Lando Norris fired McLaren to the top in FP2 at Monza.
Hamilton gave the tifosi their first roar of the weekend, leading Charles Leclerc in a Ferrari one–two during FP1. By the afternoon, the story had shifted. McLaren answered with pace, Norris dipping under 1:20 to end the day fastest, Leclerc and Sainz close behind.
FP1: Hamilton puts Ferrari on top
Early exchanges
Ferrari came out firing. Leclerc opened with a 1:22.021 on mediums, Hamilton just four thousandths behind. The grandstands responded instantly. Norris and Verstappen traded times, before Alex Albon stole headlines with a 1:21.479 on hards for Williams.
Verstappen’s runs
The RB21 looked sharp. Verstappen trimmed the pace to 1:20.751 despite complaining of sliding mediums. A switch to softs didn’t bring relief. He ran wide at the final corners, still banking a 1:20.692, then reported “no grip” before heading back to the garage.
Red flag interruption
Isack Hadjar lost the Racing Bull and scattered gravel across the kerb. Race control showed him a black and white flag for missing the escape road. Eight minutes later, running resumed.
Final order
Leclerc lit up the screens with a 1:20.286. Hamilton answered immediately, lowering it to 1:20.117. The roar told the story. Ferrari one–two at home.
Sainz impressed with P3 on hards for Williams. Verstappen slotted fourth. Antonelli delivered P5 in the Mercedes at his home race. Norris ended sixth, Albon seventh, Russell eighth, Alonso ninth, and Hadjar clung onto tenth.
Sauber kept both cars in the midfield mix: Bortoleto P11, Hülkenberg P12. Lawson edged Tsunoda. Stroll stayed ahead of rookie Alex Dunne. Ocon, Gasly, and Bearman filled the back. Paul Aron, debuting for Alpine, ended P20.
FP1 Classification
Momentum shifts in the afternoon
Hamilton and Leclerc gave the tifosi the start they wanted. Sainz kept Williams in the mix. Verstappen showed glimpses. Antonelli slipped into the top five.
The afternoon told a different story. McLaren arrived. Norris found his rhythm. The stopwatch belonged to papaya orange.
FP2: Norris takes control
Early running
Oscar Piastri returned to the McLaren after Alex Dunne’s FP1 outing, setting early markers alongside Norris. Alonso and Russell briefly joined the mix. Verstappen sat in P5 before his session unravelled.
Antonelli off
Nine minutes in, Antonelli spun the Mercedes into the gravel at Lesmo 2. Four laps on the board, and his home session was done. The rookie trudged away as the tifosi sighed.
Mid-session shuffle
Ferrari and Williams traded at the top. Leclerc went P1 with 1:20.957 on hards. Verstappen responded with 1:20.710. Sainz went quicker still on mediums. Albon impressed again with a push into the top three despite a lurid slide.
Soft-tyre runs
Then Norris struck. 1:19.878, the only lap under 1:20 all day. Hülkenberg briefly climbed to P2, Albon joined the fight, then Sainz restored Williams to second. Hamilton improved to P5. Verstappen struggled, aborting his first soft attempt and only managing P6 with the second. “Very jumpy,” he reported.
Quali sims & long runs
Piastri posted 1:20.059 for P3, but Leclerc’s 1:19.961 shuffled him back. Ferrari stayed close, even if Leclerc had a scare with a lock-up through Ascari. The final minutes were heavy-fuel runs as teams switched focus to race pace.
Closing order
Norris P1, Leclerc P2, Sainz P3. Piastri fourth, Hamilton fifth, Verstappen sixth. Albon seventh, Hülkenberg eighth, Tsunoda ninth, Russell tenth ahead of Alonso.
FP2 Classification
Standout Themes
- Ferrari strong in FP1, competitive again in FP2.
- McLaren sharp on softs, Norris the only driver under 1:20.
- Williams a genuine top-five threat.
- Mercedes mixed fortunes, Russell steady but Antonelli off.
- Red Bull struggling with balance and grip.
Saturday Ahead
Qualifying looks wide open. Ferrari’s tifosi power is matched by McLaren’s single-lap speed. Williams are in the mix as outsiders, while Red Bull are still searching for rhythm. FP3 begins at 12:30 local, with qualifying at 16:00.
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