George Russell heads Charles Leclerc in second Monza F1 practice at Italian GP

Mercedes’ George Russell set the pace from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second practice at Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix. 

Russell was 0.120 seconds quicker than Leclerc during the soft tyre qualifying simulation runs, with the other Mercedes of championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli ending the second session third in the timesheets. 

Antonelli, who is 59 points clear of Mercedes team-mate Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton in the drivers’ championship, will start Sunday’s race at Monza from the back of the grid after changing his engine. 

The Italian teenager’s penalty hands Russell a huge opportunity to reduce Antonelli’s advantage in the championship as the European leg of the season heads towards its conclusion. 

Reigning world champion Lando Norris was fourth-fastest in his McLaren, ahead of seven-time world champion Hamilton, who ended up nearly half a second off the pace in fifth. 

Oscar Piastri was sixth in the other McLaren, ahead of the Racing Bulls of Arvid Lindblad and Ollie Bearman, who is the only Haas driver running Ferrari’s upgraded engine in his Haas this weekend. 

Max Verstappen complained of a lack of downforce in his Red Bull as he finished ninth on his return to action, having sat out of first practice so that Ayumu Iwasa could complete some mandatory rookie running. 

Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top-10 on his second outing of the season with Racing Bulls as he continues to deputise for Liam Lawson, who has replaced the injured Isack Hadjar at Red Bull. 

Alpine’s Franco Colapinto was 11th, ahead of Lawson, Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, Pierre Gasly’s Alpine and Gabriel Bortoleto, who suffered a late engine issue in his Audi. 

The Williams pair of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz finished 16th and 17th ahead of Esteban Ocon’s Haas.

Fernando Alonso took 19th as he outpaced the Cadillac pair of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas and his Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll, who was slowest of all in 22nd.