George Russell Tops Monza Practice: Italian GP Insights
George Russell lit up Monza on Friday, topping second practice and planting Mercedes right at the heart of Ferrari territory heading into a pivotal Saturday at the Italian Grand Prix.
The Briton’s 1m20.*** benchmark – good enough to edge Charles Leclerc by 0.120s – underlined just how sharp Mercedes look on low fuel around the Temple of Speed. Ferrari, draped in red and roaring around their home circuit, were right there with him. The tifosi already have a contest on their hands.
Behind them, championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli slotted into third, keeping Mercedes’ name firmly at the top of the timesheets. His pace was strong. His situation is brutal. An engine change means he will start from the back on Sunday regardless of how well he qualifies, turning Saturday into a damage‑limitation exercise in the short term and a statement of intent for the long term.
Lando Norris, fresh from winning the last two grands prix, kept McLaren in the conversation with the fourth-fastest time, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri. Six cars, three teams, one circuit that punishes even the smallest misstep in braking or straightline efficiency. This is exactly the kind of grid Monza deserves.
Max Verstappen, though, spent Friday chasing something that never quite clicked. The Red Bull driver ended FP2 only ninth, wrestling with the balance of a car that has not yet found its sweet spot on low downforce. On a track where confidence under braking and stability into the chicanes decide everything, that’s a concern he and the team must solve before qualifying.
Saturday at Monza: what’s at stake
Saturday brings the final tune‑up and the fight for grid position. At Monza, that means more than just raw lap time. It’s about how late you dare brake into Turn 1, how much drag you’re prepared to strip off the car, and whether you catch the perfect slipstream without tripping over traffic.
Final practice starts at 12:30pm CEST, with qualifying at 4:00pm local time.
Key Saturday session times
- Monza local time (CEST)
- Free practice 3: 12:30pm
- Qualifying: 4:00pm
- United Kingdom (BST)
- Free practice 3: 11:30am
- Qualifying: 3:00pm
- United States Eastern Time (ET)
- Free practice 3: 6:30am
- Qualifying: 10:00am
The full Italian GP weekend schedule, all times local to 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, tyres and the Monza gamble
The weather has joined the attack. Monza is baking, with Saturday expected to be very hot, temperatures pushing into the mid‑30s Celsius and only light cloud to offer any relief. Teams will enjoy another dry day for practice and qualifying, but the heat will shape every run.
Tyre preparation becomes a fine art here: get them too hot and they’ll slide through the Lesmos and Parabolica; too cold and the braking zones into the chicanes turn into a lottery. Cooling and brake management will sit at the centre of every run plan, especially with the long straights and brutal stops that define this place.
Energy management is already a theme of the weekend. Deploy too much on the first half of the lap and you’re a sitting duck by the time you reach Ascari. Save too much and you leave free lap time on the table. That balance could decide pole.
Sunday is expected to stay hot as well, with the forecast hinting at the possibility of a passing shower. Teams can’t ignore that. Qualifying setups will be built with one eye on a race that might yet throw a late twist.
How to watch the Italian GP
Broadcast arrangements for the 2026 season remain split by region.
In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports continues as Formula 1’s exclusive live broadcaster, showing every session across the weekend, with streaming via Sky Go and NOW. Free-to-air highlights remain available on Channel 4.
In the United States, Apple TV is the primary broadcast partner for 2026, carrying all sessions live under its multi-year deal. F1 TV continues as Formula 1’s global subscription streaming service.
Monza: the Temple of Speed, stripped bare
- Circuit: Monza
- Location: Monza, Italy
- Event: Italian GP
- Circuit type: Permanent road course
Weekend format:
- Friday: Free practice 1, Free practice 2
- Saturday: Free practice 3, Qualifying
- Sunday: Race
Monza remains the purest speed test on the calendar. Long, flat‑out sections. Heavy, punishing braking zones. Minimal downforce. The cars are trimmed to the edge of efficiency, the drivers asked to brake as late as their nerve allows and ride the kerbs without losing the rear.
Power, drag reduction and confidence under braking decide everything here. Slipstreaming is an art, especially in qualifying, where timing a tow down the main straight can be worth a couple of tenths – or ruin a lap entirely if you catch traffic in the wrong place.
The 2026 grid and the walking wounded
The driver and team roster is largely stable, but there is one notable change at the Italian GP. Isack Hadjar is sidelined through injury, with Liam Lawson stepping in at Red Bull. Yuki Tsunoda moves across to Racing Bulls for the weekend.
The paddock roll call on Friday told its own story. George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli flew the Mercedes flag at the front. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton soaked up the home‑race attention. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri kept McLaren firmly in the fight. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez worked to drag more performance from Red Bull and Cadillac Racing machinery respectively.
Audi F1 Team, Williams, Haas, Alpine, Aston Martin, Racing Bulls, Williams’ new‑look line-up with Carlos Sainz, and rookies like Oliver Bearman and Gabriel Bortoleto all logged crucial laps on a day when track time meant everything.
Now comes the real test. Mercedes have struck first. Ferrari have the crowd. McLaren have momentum. Verstappen has a problem to solve. On a scorching Saturday at Monza, who dares to leave nothing on the table?
