George Russell Tops FP2 at Monza as Teams Battle for Supremacy

George Russell fired an early warning shot at Monza on Friday, topping second practice as Mercedes and Ferrari went toe-to-toe at Formula 1’s Temple of Speed.

The Briton clocked the fastest time of FP2, edging Ferrari hero Charles Leclerc by 0.120s, with championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli slotting into third. On paper, it was a simple timesheet. On track, it looked like the opening round of a weekend-long slugfest.

Lando Norris, fresh from back-to-back wins, kept McLaren firmly in the frame with the fourth-fastest time, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri. Six cars, three teams, one circuit built for pure velocity. Monza has its storylines; Friday simply shuffled them into sharper focus.

Antonelli, though, carries a built-in handicap. An engine change means the Mercedes prodigy is locked into a back-of-the-grid start on Sunday, no matter how high he flies in qualifying. His pace in practice underlined how costly that penalty could be for Mercedes in the title fight.

Max Verstappen, by contrast, never quite looked at ease. The Red Bull driver ended FP2 only ninth, still hunting for balance in a car that has rarely looked this unsettled in recent years. On a track where stability under braking and confidence in low-downforce trim are everything, that is not the kind of Friday Red Bull usually scripts.

Saturday now brings the real dress rehearsal: final practice and qualifying at a circuit where the stopwatch can be brutally unforgiving. Straightline speed, braking stability and perfectly judged slipstreams will decide who locks out the front rows.

How to watch the Italian Grand Prix

Broadcast access depends heavily on where you are.

In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports remains the exclusive home of Formula 1 for the 2026 season, showing every session live. Viewers can stream coverage via Sky Go or NOW, while Channel 4 carries free-to-air highlights.

In the United States, Apple TV holds primary broadcast rights under its multi-year deal, with every session available on the platform. F1 TV continues as Formula 1’s own global subscription streaming service.

Motorsport.com will run live coverage and updates across the entire Italian Grand Prix weekend.

Italian GP – Saturday schedule

All times local to Monza (CEST):

Saturday, September 5 — Free Practice 3: 12:30pm
Saturday, September 5 — Qualifying: 4:00pm

For UK viewers (BST):

Saturday, September 5 — Free Practice 3: 11:30am
Saturday, September 5 — Qualifying: 3:00pm

For US Eastern Time (ET):

Saturday, September 5 — Free Practice 3: 6:30am
Saturday, September 5 — Qualifying: 10:00am

Full Italian GP weekend timetable (local time, Monza)

Friday, September 4 — Free Practice 1: 12:30pm
Friday, September 4 — Free Practice 2: 4:00pm
Saturday, September 5 — Free Practice 3: 12:30pm
Saturday, September 5 — Qualifying: 4:00pm
Sunday, September 6 — 2026 Italian Grand Prix: 3:00pm

Heat at the Temple of Speed

Monza is set to bake.

Saturday’s forecast points to a very hot day, with sunshine and temperatures climbing into the mid-30s Celsius. Teams should enjoy another dry run for FP3 and qualifying, but the heat will punish any weakness in tyre preparation, cooling and brake management.

On a layout built around long straights and savage braking zones, that matters. The cars spend long stretches at full throttle, then slam the anchors for chicanes that reward those who dare to brake late and trust the car will stick. Energy management — from tyres to power units to brakes — will stay at the heart of every run plan.

Sunday is expected to remain hot for the race itself, with the possibility of a passing shower. Teams cannot ignore that threat as they lock in set-ups on Saturday; a small shift in conditions could flip the competitive order.

Monza in focus

Circuit: Monza
Location: Monza, Italy
Event: Italian Grand Prix
Circuit type: Permanent road course
Friday: Free Practice 1, Free Practice 2
Saturday: Free Practice 3, Qualifying
Race: Sunday, September 6

This is still the Temple of Speed: low downforce, long straights, heavy braking, and a premium on power, efficiency and nerve. Drivers must thread the car through Lesmo and Ascari with just enough wing to survive, but not so much that they pay for it on the straights.

The 2026 grid and a key change

The 2026 driver and team roster remains largely intact for Monza, but there is one significant change. Isack Hadjar is injured for the Italian Grand Prix, so Red Bull has turned to Liam Lawson as his replacement. Yuki Tsunoda, in turn, steps in at Racing Bulls.

The reshuffle adds another layer of intrigue to a weekend already loaded with storylines. Russell has thrown down the first marker. Ferrari has the crowd. McLaren has the form. Antonelli has pace but no starting position. Verstappen has work to do.

On Saturday at Monza, someone will blink.