The Italian Grand Prix at Monza kicked off with surprising results in the practice sessions. Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes dominated the second free practice, setting the fastest time of 1:20.738. This performance marked a significant improvement from his 7th place finish in the first session. Lando Norris of McLaren followed closely, just 0.003 seconds behind Hamilton.However, the day wasn’t as successful for championship leader Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver, who had led the first practice session, struggled in the second, finishing a disappointing 14th. Verstappen admitted, ‘I was expecting to be faster, but I just couldn’t get the pace right’. His teammate Sergio Pérez also faced difficulties, finishing 15th.The day also marked the Formula 1 debut of Franco Colapinto with Williams. The 21-year-old Argentine driver finished 17th in both practice sessions. Despite the modest placement, Colapinto expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating, ‘It was a great day. I’m feeling good and I’m looking forward to the rest of the weekend’.Meanwhile, Mercedes’ young talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli made headlines for different reasons. The 18-year-old crashed during the first practice session, hitting the barriers at the Parabolica curve with a force of 52Gs. Despite the incident, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised Antonelli’s ‘astonishing’ pace before the crash and assured that it would have ‘zero effect’ on his future with the team.As the teams prepare for qualifying and the race, the main challenge appears to be tire management. The graining on the tires is expected to necessitate a two-stop strategy for most teams. With such close times at the top and unexpected struggles for some favorites, the Italian Grand Prix is shaping up to be an exciting and unpredictable race.
Key points
- Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in the second free practice session at Monza.
- Max Verstappen struggled unexpectedly, finishing 14th in the second practice.
- Franco Colapinto made his Formula 1 debut with Williams, finishing 17th in both sessions.
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashed during the first practice session but was praised for his pace before the incident.
Contradictions👾While most sources reported Max Verstappen finishing 14th in the second practice session, one source stated he led the first free practice session, indicating some inconsistency in his performance across the day.
