Monza Friday Practice Recap: Ferrari Strong, McLaren Holds On, and a McLaren Mistake

The Italian Grand Prix weekend is underway, and Monza’s legendary circuit has already provided plenty of drama and excitement from Friday’s practice sessions. As teams continue to fine-tune their setups for the upcoming race, the first two free practice sessions (FP1 and FP2) have provided a glimpse of what to expect this weekend. Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, and a few other teams are all battling it out for supremacy, while Mercedes struggles to find its footing. Let’s take a closer look at how the teams performed on Friday and what this could mean for the rest of the weekend.

Ferrari: Home Grand Prix and a Strong Start

Ferrari fans are no strangers to seeing their team perform well at Monza, especially with the Scuderia’s rich history at the circuit. Friday’s practice sessions reaffirmed Ferrari’s potential, with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz showing impressive form in both FP1 and FP2.

FP1 Results:

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) was the fastest driver, setting the quickest lap time of the session. However, it was Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) who was just behind, securing P2. The session saw Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) also in the mix, ending up in P3. It was clear that Ferrari was in strong form as they seemed to have dialed in their car setup well, with both drivers showcasing solid lap times around the high-speed Monza circuit.

FP2 Results:

The second session saw Lando Norris (McLaren) rise to the top of the time sheets, edging out Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who were close behind. While McLaren remains the overall favorite this weekend, Ferrari cannot be counted out just yet, especially given their ability to perform well at their home race. With Monza’s long straights, Ferrari’s strengths in top-end speed are clearly playing to their advantage.

The team’s pace in both sessions suggests that Ferrari could be a serious contender for podium finishes, but much will depend on how they handle the unpredictability of the weekend. The track conditions, with plenty of gravel and tricky corners, are certainly making life difficult for the drivers. But if anyone can handle these conditions and use them to their advantage, it’s Ferrari.

McLaren: Norris Shines, but Room for Improvement

McLaren’s Lando Norris proved that he’s ready to fight for the top spot at Monza, topping the FP2 timesheets. While McLaren remains a strong contender, there are still some signs of inconsistency in the team’s performance.

FP1 Results:

In FP1, McLaren’s Norris was not at the very top, but the team was still in the mix with Norris posting competitive times. It was only in FP2 that McLaren made their move to the top of the standings, with Norris leading the charge for McLaren and showing that the team is still a favorite for podiums this weekend.

FP2 Results:

Lando Norris finished P1, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton right behind him in P2 and P3, respectively. The McLaren car showed excellent pace, especially on the long straights that Monza is known for. However, McLaren’s setup will likely need to be fine-tuned over the weekend as the team aims for consistency, and there may still be more to come from them as the weekend progresses.

While Norris looked strong, his teammate Oscar Piastri faced some difficulties during the day. Piastri was absent from FP1 as McLaren fielded their junior driver Alex Dunn, who replaced Piastri to gain some experience on the track. Piastri, however, was back in the car for FP2.

But during FP2, Piastri found himself in the middle of an incident involving a timing misstep, which affected the team. He inadvertently entered the fast lane too early during a red flag period, which led to McLaren receiving a reprimand for breaching the race director’s event notes. The team admitted their mistake, noting that they had reacted too quickly to a track-clear message rather than waiting for the official restart confirmation. Fortunately, no significant advantage was gained, as this occurred during practice and not qualifying, but it’s something McLaren will be keen to avoid going forward.

Red Bull: Upgrades in Play, but Still Behind

Red Bull arrived at Monza with a package of updates, including a new floor and front wing. The expectation was that these upgrades would provide the team with a boost, particularly in terms of improving their top-end speed on the straights. However, Red Bull did not dominate the practice sessions the way they’ve become accustomed to in 2025.

FP1 Results:

Max Verstappen finished P4 in the opening session, indicating that while the car was quick, it wasn’t quite up to the level of Ferrari or McLaren.

FP2 Results:

In the second session, Verstappen finished P6, which was a bit further down the order than what he would have liked. However, Verstappen seemed relatively content with the car’s performance, noting that the upgrades were working as expected, and that the overall performance was “reasonable.” Despite the new parts, Red Bull was still a bit behind Ferrari and McLaren in terms of outright pace, which could present a challenge for Verstappen as he aims to extend his dominance in the 2025 season.

Verstappen did acknowledge that the conditions were tricky, with several cars going off track due to oversteer and gravel being thrown onto the circuit. Nevertheless, Red Bull will likely continue to refine their setup and attempt to improve their performance heading into qualifying and the race.

Mercedes: Struggling to Find Their Pace

Mercedes is having a difficult time at Monza. After a challenging FP1, things didn’t improve much in FP2. The team seemed to be struggling with their car setup, especially in relation to top-end speed, which is crucial at Monza.

FP1 Results:

Lewis Hamilton finished P1 in the first session, but it seemed more like an anomaly than a sign of genuine pace. Mercedes was not able to sustain that performance through the rest of the day.

FP2 Results:

Both Hamilton and his teammate George Russell were far from their best in the second session, with the car failing to provide the pace needed to compete with Ferrari, McLaren, or even Red Bull. Russell was particularly affected, with issues related to his car causing him to struggle and ultimately finish the session far down the order. Mercedes clearly has work to do, and while the weekend is still young, they’re unlikely to feature at the sharp end of the grid unless they can make significant improvements.

Williams: Surprising Potential

One team that did impress during Friday’s practice was Williams, who showed solid performance at Monza. The team has long been known for their speed on long straights, and with the Italian Grand Prix on the calendar, Williams was always going to be one to watch.

FP1 Results:

Carlos Sainz finished P3 in FP1, and in FP2, Williams continued to show strong pace, with their car looking good around the fast Monza circuit.

FP2 Results:

While the team wasn’t at the very top, their performance was encouraging. It will be exciting to see if Williams can maintain their speed and possibly challenge for a higher finish this weekend.

Conclusion:

The opening day of practice at Monza has been full of surprises, with Ferrari showing strong pace at their home Grand Prix, McLaren holding steady at the top of the time sheets, and Red Bull adjusting to new upgrades. Mercedes is struggling to find their rhythm, and while teams like Williams are showing promise, the weekend is still wide open. As the teams head into qualifying, it remains to be seen whether Ferrari can convert their pace into a pole position, whether McLaren can keep their cool, and if Red Bull’s upgrades will provide the necessary edge to challenge for victory.

Stay tuned for more updates as the weekend progresses!