Italian Grand Prix – Free Practice 1 – Bottas on top, Verstappen on the edge

Start of the first Italian weekend of the season in Monza for the Italian Grand Prix, immediately dominated by Bottas in 1:20.703 ahead of Hamilton in 1:20.948 and Albon in 1:21.500.

Many drivers hit the track right at the start of the session to perform a single reconnaissance lap, then, after 20 minutes, the drivers began their work program for this session, starting with Albon on medium tires who was the first to set a lap, which was canceled for exceeding track limits. Ocon was the first driver to record a timed lap in 1:22.446, beaten by Albon on a second lap in 1:22.280. Verstappen followed his teammate at +0.074s, ahead of Bottas and the French driver. Leclerc, Stroll, Hamilton, Perez, Kvyat, and Ricciardo completed the top part of the standings and were at +0.6s from the best time. The Mercedes took the lead on a second lap, Bottas ahead of Hamilton in 1:21.657.

Shortly before mid-session, Verstappen went off the track at the end of Ascari before the straight. He lost control of his car while accelerating during the change of direction on hard tires. He reversed back onto the track to return to the pits, but his trip through the gravel cost him his front wing and triggered a red flag. The teams carried out numerous works on the cars during this interruption, whether on the floor, suspensions, or wings.

Problems for many drivers due to on-track traffic. The short and fast Monza circuit, with many people on the track, hinders drivers who are on flying laps.

The cars have resumed the track with 35 minutes of testing remaining. Upon resumption, Bottas sets the pace with a 1:20.703. An impressive lap from the Finn, putting Hamilton at +0.2s. The AlphaTauris are at +0.8s but on hard tires, a great lap from both drivers. Despite being on medium tires, Leclerc is 11th and Vettel 19th, over 2 seconds off the best time, a difficult situation for Ferrari on home ground. There’s a big battle in the mid-table between Renault, McLaren, and Racing Point, with only four-tenths separating them. Few improvements until the end of the session as teams focus on race pace.

FP1 Standings