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Hamilton Tops FP1 at Monza as Leclerc Pushes Ferrari Close
Lewis Hamilton gave Ferrari fans plenty to cheer about on Friday morning as he set the pace in the opening practice session of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza. The seven-time world champion, making his first home appearance in Ferrari red, clocked a best lap time that put him top of the timesheets. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, ensured the Scuderia’s dream start to the weekend by finishing just 0.169 seconds behind in second place.
For Hamilton, who has endured a rollercoaster start to life with Ferrari, the sight of his name at the very top of the leaderboard at Monza was symbolic. The tifosi roared in approval as their new hero led the way in FP1, reinforcing the belief that Ferrari could mount a serious challenge in front of their passionate home crowd this weekend. Hamilton’s pace looked strong across both short runs and early long-run simulations, suggesting that Ferrari has arrived at Monza well-prepared and ready to fight.
Leclerc’s performance was equally encouraging. The Monegasque driver has always had a special bond with the Monza faithful, having won the Italian Grand Prix in 2019, and his P2 finish demonstrated Ferrari’s strong early grip on proceedings. With just under two tenths of a second separating him from Hamilton, Leclerc looks poised to push his teammate hard as the weekend develops.
Behind the Ferrari duo, the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez slotted into third and fourth, albeit with a noticeable gap to the leaders. Verstappen, who has dominated much of the season so far, did not appear entirely comfortable during the opening session. His car looked a little unbalanced through Monza’s high-speed corners, and he was unable to match Ferrari’s straight-line speed. Still, Red Bull will remain a formidable force as the track evolves and conditions change.
Elsewhere, Mercedes had a quiet session, with George Russell and the returning Mick Schumacher—filling in again after a reserve call-up—finding themselves in the lower half of the top ten. Both drivers reported issues with grip on their initial runs, and the Silver Arrows will be hoping to unlock more pace as the weekend progresses.
McLaren also endured a mixed morning. Lando Norris, fresh from strong recent performances, could only manage seventh, while teammate Oscar Piastri ended FP1 down in tenth. The Woking team appeared to be experimenting with different aerodynamic setups, and their true pace may only become clear in the later practice sessions.
For the Italian fans, however, the story was entirely about Ferrari. After a season of ups and downs, seeing both cars lead the way at Monza has raised hopes of a potential fairytale weekend. The combination of Hamilton’s hunger to deliver in front of Ferrari’s home supporters and Leclerc’s deep connection with the tifosi creates an atmosphere charged with anticipation.
The real test will come in qualifying on Saturday, where Ferrari will look to convert this promising start into a front-row lockout. But for now, Hamilton and Leclerc’s FP1 showing has injected belief into the Scuderia camp and set the stage for what could be one of the most memorable weekends in recent Ferrari history.
Monza is known as the “Temple of Speed,” and on opening day, Ferrari’s faithful witnessed their team strike first. Whether they can maintain the momentum into qualifying and Sunday’s race remains to be seen, but for Hamilton and Leclerc, the Italian Grand Prix weekend could hardly have begun any better.
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