George Russell ended Friday on top at Monza, and Ferrari's home crowd got the next best thing. The Mercedes driver set a 1:22.559 in second practice to lead Charles Leclerc by 0.120s, with Kimi Antonelli third for Mercedes another 0.021s back.
Leclerc spun at the second chicane late in the session and rejoined without damage, which is the sort of Friday moment that means nothing on Saturday.
There seem to be issues brewing at Red Bull... Verstappen missed FP1 entirely, and it was scheduled: rookie Ayumu Iwasa ran the car as part of the mandatory young-driver sessions every team must give up across the season. That's fairly routine.
The problem is what Verstappen found when he got in for FP2. He reported a lack of low-speed grip and a lack of braking power, and technical director Pierre Wache was blunt about the state of the car.
"I think clearly we have a balance issue on the car, is the main thing," Wache said. He added that the FP1 absence made the day harder: "What doesn't help is when Max is not driving during P1, and he jumps in the car there, and we have less time to react. Now, we have to react for P3."
Monza punishes that combination. It's the fastest circuit on the calendar, teams run their skinniest wings of the year, and the lap is decided in the braking zones into the chicanes. A car that won't stop and won't turn at low speed is a car that's slow here.
McLaren made an overnight call on their H-wing configuration after reviewing the Friday data, and Ferrari brought an engine upgrade to their home race. Monza is the one weekend Ferrari can't afford to be merely competent, and a front-row lock-out on Saturday would do more for the mood in the grandstands than any upgrade spec sheet.
Antonelli's pace matters for a different reason. The Italian is in his second season with Mercedes, and third-fastest at his home race, in front of a crowd that has adopted him, is the kind of Friday that turns into a very loud Saturday if he keeps it there.
Here is the rest of the weekend, all times ET:
- FP3 — Saturday, 6:30am
- Qualifying — Saturday, 10:00am
- Race — Sunday, 9:00am
US coverage is on Apple TV, which took over as F1's American home for 2026, with F1 TV Premium also carrying the sessions.
Mercedes haven't looked this comfortable on a Friday in a while, and they get to sleep on a one-three!
Do you trust the Friday order to hold up when qualifying starts?
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