George Russell fastest in second practice at Monza, Ferrari right behind Mercedes
George Russell ended the first day of action at the Italian Grand Prix at the top of the standings, setting the fastest time in the second free practice session at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. The Mercedes driver completed a lap in 1:22.559 and beat Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari by 0.120 seconds, while Kimi Antonelli finished third in the second Mercedes, only 0.141 seconds behind. Such a small gap between the top three confirmed that, after Friday, Mercedes and Ferrari are among the teams heading into qualifying day with the greatest ambitions, although practice results do not provide a definitive picture of the competitive order because of different fuel loads, run plans and power-unit settings. Lando Norris was fourth for McLaren, Lewis Hamilton fifth in the other Ferrari, and Oscar Piastri sixth. Considering that Leclerc had also been fastest in the first practice session, while Hamilton took second place on that occasion, Ferrari began its home weekend at Monza very competitively, but Russell showed in the second session that Mercedes has serious speed both over a single lap and on longer runs.
Russell took the lead in the qualifying simulation
According to the official Formula 1 and FIA reports, the second practice session was held on September 4 in very warm conditions, and the teams used the first part of the session to work on the harder tyre compounds before switching to qualifying simulations. Antonelli set an early 1:23.417 on the hard compound and at that moment led Russell and Leclerc, with only 0.055 seconds separating the three fastest drivers. Russell then went faster again, but the real change in the order came when the leading drivers began using the soft tyre. Antonelli was the first of the frontrunners to go below 1:23, stopping the clock at 1:22.700, and Russell soon responded with a 1:22.686 lap. Leclerc then went slightly faster with a 1:22.679, but on his next quick attempt Russell set the final 1:22.559, and that time remained out of reach until the end of the session.
Russell's lap was 0.120 seconds faster than Leclerc's and 0.141 seconds faster than Antonelli's, meaning the gap between second and third place was only 0.021 seconds. That order is also important because of the characteristics of Monza, a circuit where the slipstream on the long straights can have a greater effect than at most other venues on the calendar. Even before the weekend, Mercedes had spoken about the possibility of Antonelli helping Russell with a tow in qualifying, because the Italian driver will start from the back anyway due to a penalty connected with changes to power-unit elements. Formula 1 states that Antonelli arrives at Monza as the championship leader, with a 59-point advantage over team-mate Russell, making his situation unusual: one-lap speed remains important for the team's qualifying plan, even though his qualifying result itself will not determine his actual starting position in the usual way. This may give Mercedes an additional tactical option in the fight for pole position, especially at a circuit where a correctly timed slipstream can provide a measurable advantage.
Leclerc quick again, but Ferrari not yet declaring itself favourite
Leclerc's second-place result followed a very strong first practice session, in which he was fastest with a time of 1:23.008 ahead of Hamilton, while Russell finished third. In its report from the first session, the FIA noted that Ferrari occupied the top two positions, and it was particularly interesting that the Italian team did not base its programme on extensive use of the softest compound. In the second practice session, Leclerc was quick enough on the soft tyres to briefly take the lead before Russell beat him by just over a tenth. Monza is always particularly important to Ferrari because of the home crowd and the team's historic connection with the Italian Grand Prix, but Friday did not pass entirely without mistakes. Leclerc locked his wheels in the first part of the second session and ran on through the escape area at the first chicane, while late in the session he spun at Variante della Roggia, although without making contact with the barriers and without serious consequences.
After practice, Leclerc, according to a Formula 1 report containing comments from the teams, said that the feeling in the car had been solid, but also that Ferrari could see areas that still needed work before qualifying. Hamilton ended Friday with the fifth-fastest time in the second practice session, 0.457 seconds behind Russell, and explained that he had not managed to extract the maximum from a single lap and that part of the deficit should also be viewed in the context of the slipstream on the long straights. Ferrari also introduced further power-unit changes for Monza within the development allowances permitted for the 2026 season, further increasing expectations at one of the circuits where power-unit efficiency and low aerodynamic drag are especially important. Nevertheless, both Leclerc and Hamilton remained cautious in their assessments, aware that the true level of competitiveness would become clearer only in qualifying. After Friday's two practice sessions, Ferrari has confirmation that it is near the front, but also enough data to know that Mercedes is currently more than just a theoretical threat.
Mercedes satisfied with both short and long runs
After the session, Russell described Friday as a strong day for Mercedes, saying that the team had completed a large part of its planned programme and that the pace looked good both over a single fast lap and during longer runs. According to him, the changes made after the first practice session helped the car's behaviour, although he stressed that the team still had work to do before Saturday's sessions. That is an important point because Monza is traditionally a venue where a very specific compromise is required: as little aerodynamic drag as possible on the straights, but enough stability under heavy braking and when riding the kerbs in the chicanes. Getting that compromise wrong can produce high top speed while at the same time making it more difficult for the driver to attack the braking zones and achieve precise exits from slow corners. Russell's Friday was therefore encouraging for Mercedes not only because of first place, but also because the car looked competitive through different phases of the session.
Antonelli, meanwhile, finished third despite reporting understeer during the longer runs. The Italian driver and his team have a different priority this weekend because of the power-unit penalty, so part of Friday was also focused on preparing to fight through the field in Sunday's race. Formula 1 reported Antonelli's comments that, because he will start from the back, Mercedes paid more attention to race pace and driving in traffic in order to gather data that could be important for overtaking. His third place therefore carries additional significance: it was achieved within a programme that was not focused exclusively on the qualifying result. For Mercedes, this opens the possibility for Russell to attack pole position, while Antonelli's weekend is already being viewed through the prism of strategy, tyre management and progress through a large number of cars.
McLaren in the background, Verstappen looking for more grip
Norris finished behind the leading trio, with his 1:22.943 leaving him 0.384 seconds behind Russell, while Hamilton in fifth place was 0.457 seconds slower. Piastri took sixth place in the other McLaren, so reigning world champion Norris and his team-mate were not directly in the fight at the top of the FP2 timesheet. However, gaps in free practice at Monza can change considerably once everyone switches to the same qualifying priorities, particularly because of slipstreaming, tyre preparation and the choice of when to go out on track. Norris also had an uncomfortable moment during the session while braking for the first chicane when he closed in on Lance Stroll and had to cross the grass; over the radio, he described the situation as dangerous. The incident had no major consequences, but once again demonstrated how important traffic is at Monza, where drivers often deliberately slow down to create a gap or find a slipstream for a fast lap.
Max Verstappen finished only ninth and, according to the FIA and Formula 1, complained during practice about a lack of aerodynamic grip and the behaviour of the front end of the Red Bull. The team changed his front wing, and later he also reported more pronounced bouncing from the car and asked whether the front axle had suffered damage. Arvid Lindblad was seventh for Racing Bulls, Oliver Bearman eighth for Haas, and Yuki Tsunoda tenth in the other Racing Bulls. Franco Colapinto had an excursion through the gravel at the exit of the Ascari chicane, while Gabriel Bortoleto ended his programme early because of an engine problem. None of those moments changed the fact that Russell, Leclerc and Antonelli remained clearly separated at the top, but they showed that even on a circuit made up of long straights, car stability under braking, changes of direction and riding the kerbs remains crucial.
Monza once again emphasises speed, braking and energy management
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is 5.793 kilometres long and has 11 corners, while Sunday's race is run over 53 laps, or a total of 306.72 kilometres, according to Formula 1. The circuit is among the fastest on the calendar and requires configurations with very low levels of aerodynamic downforce, which is why teams use special wings and try to reduce drag on the long straight sections. At the same time, drivers must brake aggressively for the chicanes and find enough mechanical grip when exiting slower corners, where poor traction quickly cancels out the gains achieved through low drag. Pirelli is using the three softest compounds in its range for this year's Italian Grand Prix: C3 as the hard, C4 as the medium and C5 as the soft. The tyre manufacturer also warns that, because of the new 2026 power units, energy management on the long straights will be an additional technical factor this weekend.
Friday also showed that working with the tyres will be important during different parts of the weekend. In the second practice session, the leaders gradually built up their speed, moving from harder compounds to softs during the qualifying simulations, before switching back to longer runs with higher fuel loads late in the session. That is precisely why the final timesheet cannot be read as an accurate prediction of qualifying or the race. It is not known how much fuel the individual teams were carrying, nor are all power-unit operating settings publicly available, while slipstreaming can further distort comparisons between individual laps at Monza. Nevertheless, when the results from both Friday practice sessions are considered together, Ferrari and Mercedes are the only teams that had drivers right at the front at both key moments of the day. That is enough for the battle for the best starting positions to be associated primarily with those two teams at this stage, with the expectation that McLaren, Red Bull and the others will try to close the gap during the third practice session.
Qualifying on September 5, race the following day
The Italian Grand Prix programme continues on September 5 with the third free practice session and qualifying, while the race is scheduled for September 6. Saturday will be particularly important for Russell's team because the FP2 result provides a realistic basis for an attack on pole position, but qualifying tactics at Monza almost always require very precise timing of runs onto the circuit. Ferrari will try to confirm the speed it showed throughout Friday, while Leclerc enters Saturday as the only driver who finished in the top two in both sessions. McLaren will look for an additional step after fourth and sixth places, while Red Bull needs to find a more stable balance if Verstappen is to be a serious contender for the front row. At the same time, Antonelli's penalty means that one of Friday's fastest drivers will not be able to capitalise on his speed in the usual way, which could affect both the tactical picture in qualifying and the development of Sunday's race.
The most important message from the second practice session is nevertheless simple: Russell set the fastest lap of the day, Leclerc remained within 0.120 seconds, and Antonelli was only another 0.021 seconds behind the Ferrari. Mercedes therefore rounded off a strong Friday, while Ferrari confirmed that its speed from the first practice session was not an isolated result. With the front so tightly packed and on a circuit where details such as slipstreaming, tyre temperature and the exit from the final corner can decide tenths of a second, the gap between first and third leaves very little room for error. Qualifying should therefore provide a much clearer answer to the question of whether Russell has a genuine advantage or whether Friday merely signalled an evenly matched battle between Mercedes and Ferrari. Until then, the only certainty is that after the first day at Monza, the British driver set the benchmark the others had to follow.
Sources:
- Formula 1 - official report and results from the second free practice session for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix. (link)
- FIA - official report on FP2 at Monza, including times, conditions and the course of the session. (link)
- Formula 1 - comments from drivers and teams after Friday's practice sessions at Monza. (link)
- FIA - official report from the first free practice session, in which Ferrari occupied the top two positions. (link)
- Formula 1 - official information about the schedule and characteristics of the Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit. (link)
- Pirelli - official technical overview of the tyres and circuit demands for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix. (link)
- Formula 1 - context regarding Antonelli's power-unit penalty and planned start from the back of the grid. (link)
- Formula 1 - information about Ferrari's power-unit upgrade for Monza. (link)