Italian Grand Prix – Free Practice 1: Charles Leclerc dominates the session

One of the must-see events on the Formula 1 calendar, the Monza circuit is a unanimous favorite among both drivers and enthusiasts. It is equally important for Ferrari, who must awaken from a long nightmare. A victory at this Italian Grand Prix already seems imperative in front of the fervent tifosi.

This first free practice session was not very eventful. The drivers had taken their cars out for reconnaissance with aerodynamically loaded single-seaters. Unsurprisingly, Max Verstappen dominated the first half-hour. The Dutchman, confident with his five consecutive victories, continued to perform well. His car seemed unbeatable. It is worth noting that Nyck de Vries replaced Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin for this session, and Antonio Giovinazzi replaced Mick Schumacher at Haas.

And Ferrari’s weekend started off on a bad note. After a few laps, Carlos Sainz had to return to the pits for the mechanics to fix a significant issue with his car. Fortunately for him, he was able to get back on track a few minutes before the end of the session. His teammate, on the other hand, had a battle with Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc set the fastest lap in 1’22.410, ahead of Carlos Sainz (+0.077) and George Russell (+0.279). A promising start for the Italian team? The reigning champion only placed 5th.

Alpine and Albon in great shape.

On its side, Alpine continued to be competitive. Both cars positioned themselves in the top 10. Esteban Ocon achieved the 6th best time and Fernando Alonso the 7th fastest time. While he only placed 11th, Alexander Albon achieved some impressive feats aboard his Williams. The Thai driver pushed his Formula 1 car even further, easily surpassing his teammate, Nicholas Latifi.

The ranking of the first practice session.