Italian GP: Lewis Hamilton Sets the Pace on an Eventful Practice.

Italian GP: Lewis Hamilton Sets the Pace on an Eventful Practice Day at Monza

The Formula 1 circus arrived at the historic Autodromo Nazionale Monza for the second stop of the double-header after the summer break, transitioning from the challenging dunes of Zandvoort to the fast straights and chicanes of Monza. Friday’s practice sessions proved to be action-packed, featuring multiple interruptions and an impressive performance from Lewis Hamilton.

Lewis Hamilton ended the second practice session (FP2) with the fastest time of the day, setting a strong pace in his Mercedes. The seven-time world champion started FP2 on a set of Medium tyres, easing into his first run of the weekend and gathering crucial data for his team. Hamilton later switched to a fresh set of Soft tyres, which he had also utilized extensively during FP1. On these Soft tyres, he recorded the fastest lap of the session, narrowly edging out McLaren’s Lando Norris by just three thousandths of a second. This effort underlined Hamilton’s continued prowess and adaptability, as he maximized the car’s performance around the high-speed circuit of Monza.

In contrast, George Russell’s day was marked by challenges. After an incident in FP1 caused by Mercedes’ junior driver Kimi Antonelli, Russell’s car required significant repairs before he could rejoin the track. The damage, resulting from Antonelli’s shunt earlier in the day, kept Russell in the garage for the initial 20 minutes of FP2 while the mechanics worked diligently to get his car ready for action.

Once back on track, Russell began his first laps of the day on the Medium tyres. However, his session was soon interrupted again due to a red flag, triggered by an accident involving Kevin Magnussen at Turn 7. The red flag caused a further delay, limiting Russell’s track time and impacting his preparation for the rest of the weekend.

When the session resumed with 18 minutes remaining, both Mercedes drivers returned to the circuit. Hamilton continued on the Medium tyres he had run earlier, refining the car’s setup and gathering more data. Russell, meanwhile, completed another run on his previous set of Medium tyres before switching to a new set of Soft tyres to finish the session. Russell ended the session in sixth place, completing a difficult but ultimately productive day.

With Hamilton setting the fastest time and Russell overcoming setbacks to secure a solid position, Mercedes heads into the weekend with optimism. As the teams prepare for qualifying, all eyes will be on Monza to see who can take advantage of this historic and challenging circuit.