Hamilton tops FP2 as Norris and Sainz push him to the..

Monza masterclass: Hamilton tops FP2 as Norris and Sainz push him to the limit

In the second practice session (FP2) for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets with noa lap time of 1m 20.738s, narrowly edging out McLaren’s Lando Norris by just three-thousandths of a second.

This tight session saw the top five drivers separated by a mere 0.154s, underscoring the competitive nature of the field.

The session began at 1700 local time, though George Russell of Mercedes had to wait to join the action as his team worked on his car following a crash by Kimi Antonelli in FP1.

Most drivers started the session on the medium compound tires, except for Daniel Ricciardo, who opted for the softs. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc initially led the session with a time of 1m 21.119s, slightly ahead of his teammate Carlos Sainz, much to the delight of the home crowd, known as the Tifosi.

As the session progressed, teams shifted focus to qualifying simulations.

Both Russell and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez joined the track after some delay, with Perez’s car undergoing a precautionary gearbox change between the sessions.

Lando Norris briefly led the standings before Hamilton eclipsed him by a tiny margin, despite reporting discomfort from a hot seat in his Mercedes.

The session was interrupted by a red flag halfway through, following a crash by Kevin Magnussen of Haas at the second Lesmo corner.

Magnussen emerged uninjured, but the incident added to a challenging day for the Haas team, which had earlier received a fine for impeding during FP1.

After a 12-minute pause, the session resumed, with drivers eager to maximize their track time. However, Perez faced difficulties completing a clean lap due to traffic on the circuit.

As the session wound down, most teams focused on long runs, assessing their race pace.

Hamilton’s earlier lap remained unbeaten, securing him P1, followed by Norris in P2 and Sainz in P3. Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren secured P4, while Leclerc finished P5, just 0.154s off Hamilton’s time.

George Russell managed to slot into P6 after completing his qualifying simulation in the final minutes of the session.

Nico Hulkenberg gave Haas some consolation by finishing seventh fastest, ahead of Ricciardo, who placed eighth for Red Bull. The Aston Martin duo of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll rounded out the top ten in P9 and P10, respectively.

Valtteri Bottas, who had a strong showing in FP1, continued his form by placing 11th for Kick Sauber. Magnussen, despite his earlier crash, finished 12th, followed by Alex Albon in 13th for Williams.

Interestingly, Max Verstappen, who led FP1, had a subdued session, finishing 14th in FP2, just ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez in 15th. This result was surprising, given Verstappen’s dominance throughout the season.

Overall, FP2 at Monza showcased the tight competition among the teams, with minimal time differences separating the top drivers. Hamilton’s strong performance sets the stage for an exciting qualifying session, with McLaren and Ferrari showing competitive pace.

However, the Red Bull team will need to address their issues if they want to challenge for pole position and race victory.