Lewis Hamilton leads the FP2 session at Monza, followed closely by Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz. McLaren is strong, but Ferrari is close behind.
After today’s FP1, which was led by Max Verstappen and impacted by Kimi Antonelli’s crash, the 20 fastest drivers in the world returned to the track for FP2. Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time with an impressive 1:20.738, the result of a clean lap that bodes well for tomorrow’s qualifying.
Behind him, there’s a fierce battle between McLaren and Ferrari. Norris (2nd, just 3 milliseconds behind), Sainz, Piastri, and Leclerc (5th) are all within 151 milliseconds of each other, setting up a weekend-long duel. While the Papaya team seems slightly faster in race pace, the two Ferraris will be playing on home turf at an Autodrome already buzzing with Red passion.
George Russell finished 6th, testing a qualifying simulation only at the end of the session due to damage sustained to his car during FP1. Rounding out the top 10 are Hulkenberg, Ricciardo, and the two Aston Martins of Alonso and Stroll.
The next session is tomorrow at 12:30, starting with FP3, followed by one of the most crucial qualifying sessions of the year, given the significant slipstream effect.
Photo: Scuderia Ferrari HP, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team
