Charles Leclerc heads Ferrari 1-2 as new engine debuts in Monza F1 practice

Charles Leclerc led Formula 1 team-mate Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari one-two in opening practice at the team’s home Italian Grand Prix. 

Ferrari has introduced a new engine as it goes all out to claim a memorable victory at Monza and Leclerc made a perfect start to the weekend by topping the timesheets on medium tyres, 0.173 seconds clear of seven-time world champion Hamilton. 

Mercedes driver George Russell was third-quickest on soft tyres as he ended up 0.304s behind Leclerc, while Liam Lawson, who continues to deputise for the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull, placed fourth, 0.425s off the pace. 

Home hero Andrea Kimi Antonelli was over six tenths adrift in sixth, with the championship leader set to start from the back of the grid in his Mercedes due to exceeding his permitted allocation of engine components for the season following earlier reliability troubles. 

Reigning world champion Lando Norris, who has won the last two F1 races in Hungary and the Netherlands, was sixth fastest as McLaren finally debuted its rotating H-Wing. 

F1 rookie Arvid Lindblad took seventh in his Racing Bulls ahead of Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Paul Aron, who was one of four rookie drivers taking part in the first practice session on Friday. 

Aron was standing in for Pierre Gasly, who has had a bad start to the weekend after learning that he has lost his podium finish from the Monaco Grand Prix following a successful appeal from Red Bull and McLaren.

Oscar Piastri was only 11th in the second McLaren, ahead of Yuki Tsunoda, who is continuing to act as Lawson’s stand-in at Racing Bulls. 

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen was among the drivers who sat out of FP1, as Ayumu Iwasa got a chance behind the wheel of the Red Bull on his way to finishing 17th. 

Colton Herta’s latest F1 appearance lasted less than 20 minutes before his Cadillac broke down, causing an early red flag.