Monza Friday

The pacesetters were Mercedes and Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc and George Russell leading FP1 and FP2, respectively. McLaren and Norris are lurking close behind after winning the past two Grands Prix.

This is the second straight weekend of the Red Bull and Racing Bulls driver lineup shake-up. Liam Lawson showed strong pace, putting his Red Bull into P4 in FP1.

Championship Outlook

Kimi Antonelli will start at the back of the grid following his grid penalty, while his teammate and championship contender George Russell topped FP2.

Meanwhile, Norris’ newest championship rival is coming off back-to-back Grand Prix wins and arrives at Monza full of confidence. McLaren continues to bring constant updates to the car, making Norris a major threat heading into the weekend.

Friday Winners & Losers

Winner — George Russell

Russell showed strong pace throughout Friday, topping FP2 while his teammate Antonelli faces a grid penalty.

Loser — Max Verstappen

Verstappen once again appeared to struggle with his Red Bull on Friday after sitting out most of FP1. However, you can never count out Verstappen and the Red Bull team. Expect them to work together overnight to extract the maximum pace from the car when qualifying arrives.

Winner — Ferrari

Ferrari showed race winning pace in front of the passionate Tifosi, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both placing their Ferraris inside the top five in both Friday practice sessions.

Saturday Outlook

FP3: 6:30 AM EST

Qualifying: 10:00 AM EST