George Russell Tops Monza Practice, Ferrari's Leclerc Fights Back
George Russell edged a breathless second practice at Monza on Friday afternoon, snatching top spot from Ferrari favourite Charles Leclerc in a mid-session sprint that hinted at a very tight Italian Grand Prix weekend.
The Mercedes driver laid down a 1m22.559s in the heart of FP2, winning a three-way shootout with Leclerc and his own team-mate Kimi Antonelli that lit up an otherwise methodical Friday.
Russell wins the soft-tyre shootout
For 20 minutes, FP2 looked routine. Hard tyres, long fuel, lap times that meant little. Russell still led that early phase, but the real story began once the field bolted on Pirelli’s softs.
The mood changed instantly.
Antonelli went first. On the red-walled rubber, the young Italian lit up the timing screens with a fastest first sector, only to find a wall of traffic at the Parabolica and abandon the lap. He regrouped, reset, and on his next clear run punched in a 1m22.700s to take the top spot.
Russell answered immediately. A 1m22.686s, just enough to edge his team-mate and underline Mercedes’ pace.
Leclerc, roared on by the tifosi after topping FP1, refused to let that stand. He delivered a 1m22.679s, Ferrari back on top at Monza, if only briefly. The grandstands had barely settled when Russell hit back again, this time with authority: 1m22.559s, a lap that would not be beaten.
From there, the session shifted into long-run work. The times at the top stayed frozen: Russell first, Leclerc second, Antonelli third.
Norris and Hamilton keep the pressure on
Behind the front three, Lando Norris quietly positioned himself as a serious threat. The reigning world champion, chasing a hat-trick after winning the last two grands prix, finished fourth, just four tenths off Russell’s benchmark.
Lewis Hamilton slotted into fifth in the second Ferrari, keeping the Scuderia firmly in the fight at the sharp end and edging Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, who ended up sixth. The gaps were small. The intent from all three teams was obvious.
Young guns shine for Racing Bulls and Haas
Arvid Lindblad provided one of the standout storylines of the session. The Racing Bulls driver briefly ran as high as third in the early going and eventually settled into seventh, a strong marker at a circuit that punishes hesitation.
Oliver Bearman delivered another encouraging performance in difficult circumstances for Haas. He claimed eighth, a result that will feel bigger inside a team still searching for consistent form.
Verstappen plays catch-up on a tricky return
This was Max Verstappen’s first taste of the weekend after Red Bull handed his car to reserve driver Ayumu Iwasa in FP1 for a mandatory rookie outing. The Dutchman spent much of FP2 wrestling with the balance of his RB22, chasing a setup that never quite came to him.
Red Bull tweaked the front wing flap, but the car still looked unsettled. Verstappen could manage only ninth, the quickest of the Red Bull pair but nowhere near the commanding positions he has made his own in recent years.
Yuki Tsunoda, stepping back in at Racing Bulls for a second consecutive weekend while Liam Lawson deputises for the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull, completed the top 10. Lawson himself ended the session 12th, just behind Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.
Incidents, investigations and Audi concern
The session wasn’t entirely clean.
Leclerc suffered a spin at the second chicane, the rear of his Ferrari snapping away as he attacked the high sausage kerbs. He escaped without damage, but it was a reminder of how unforgiving Monza’s chicanes can be when drivers push the limits.
Lance Stroll faces a stewards’ investigation after a dangerous impeding incident. As the Aston Martin driver exited the pitlane, he drifted into the path of Norris, who had to jink away to avoid contact. The FIA race stewards will review the clash after the session, and any penalty could shape Aston Martin’s weekend.
Audi, meanwhile, had cause for alarm. Gabriel Bortoleto reported an ill-sounding V6 in the back of his car, and the team cut his programme short as a precaution. On a power-sensitive track like Monza, any hint of engine trouble sets nerves jangling.
By the flag, Russell’s 1m22.559s still sat at the top of the timesheets. Mercedes had landed the first blow. Ferrari had the crowd and the speed to answer. McLaren and a frustrated Verstappen lurked in the background.
Qualifying at Monza rarely disappoints. On this evidence, it could be brutal.
