Italian GP practice leaves Mercedes and Ferrari closely matched
Friday practice at Monza offered mixed signals at the front, with Ferrari leading FP1 through Charles Leclerc before Mercedes responded in FP2 as George Russell went fastest. The longer runs at the end of the second session did not establish a clear favourite for Sunday.
Ferrari started the Italian Grand Prix weekend strongly when Charles Leclerc set the pace in the opening practice session. Mercedes then answered in the second practice session, where George Russell recorded the fastest time.
Attention later turned to the long runs at the end of FP2, which are often treated as an early guide to race pace for Sunday. Even so, the available signs remained inconclusive, with no clear indication that either Mercedes or Ferrari held a decisive advantage.
The Friday running therefore left the competitive picture unsettled at Monza, particularly among the leading teams. Reports across the day highlighted the importance of the weekend for two of Formula 1’s biggest teams and their drivers, while FP2 also provided the latest official session classification.
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