Leclerc Tops FP1 at Monza with Ferrari One-Two Finish

Charles Leclerc wasted no time in giving the Tifosi exactly what they wanted. On a warm opening afternoon at Monza, the Ferrari driver topped the first practice session of the Italian Grand Prix weekend, heading team-mate Lewis Hamilton for a statement-making one-two on home soil.

Ferrari needed this. The build-up all week has been about pressure, expectation, and whether the Maranello team could turn the emotional surge of a home race into something tangible. FP1 is only a first marker, but Leclerc set it down with authority, Hamilton tucking in behind to lock out the top of the timesheet.

Behind the red cars, George Russell led the response. The Mercedes driver finished fourth fastest, the leading Silver Arrow on the day, as the team began to probe how much pace they can realistically bring to Ferrari’s party over a race distance.

The story of the session, though, stretched beyond the established names.

Liam Lawson, back in a Red Bull seat in place of the injured Isack Hadjar, wasted no time reminding the paddock of his sharpness. Slotting into fifth, he delivered exactly the kind of clean, competitive return a stand-in driver dreams of on a high-speed circuit that punishes hesitation.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli was next up in the order for Mercedes. Fifth fastest for the title frontrunner underlines his usual calm efficiency: no fireworks, no drama, just solid speed as he quietly builds another weekend that could prove decisive in the standings.

Lando Norris, hunting a third successive victory, ended the session sixth. It was not the headline time he has grown used to in recent weeks, but his presence in the upper reaches of the order keeps him firmly in the frame. If this is his baseline on Friday, the rest of the grid knows there is more to come.

Among the rookies, Alpine’s Paul Aron made the strongest impression. He steered his car into 10th place, a neat, composed performance that put him ahead of several more experienced rivals and added another encouraging data point to his early career.

Not everyone’s session survived the opening exchanges.

Colton Herta endured a frustrating third FP1 outing with Cadillac, his running cut brutally short when his car broke down after just five laps. No rhythm, no chance to build confidence, and precious little data for the team to work with at one of the calendar’s most demanding power tracks.

Ferrari, by contrast, walk away from FP1 with exactly what they craved: clear speed, a one-two on the board, and a grandstand full of fans already daring to believe this weekend could be theirs.