The final free practice for the Italian GP has concluded! Although the stands were ablaze with the fiery red of the large crowd of tifosi who travelled to Monza, it was Lando Norris who topped the time sheets this afternoon, followed by Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri. However, the margins are once again slim – all cars are within one second of each other. As it stands, we are looking forward to a thrilling qualification on Saturday afternoon.
Both Aston Martins kick off the action at Monza, while Yuki Tsunoda, Kimi Antonelli, and Oscar Piastri are the first to take to the track on behalf of Red Bull, Mercedes, and McLaren respectively. Ferrari is holding back for now. Pierre Gasly, who announced on Saturday that he has extended his partnership with Alpine for another three years, sets the first fast time. Tsunoda quickly surpasses this and remains at the top for the first twenty minutes.
Several top drivers struggle with the first braking zone in turn 1. Various drivers, including Lando Norris, cut the chicane. Carlos Sainz complains about a treacherous tailwind, but with wind speeds of only 4 kilometers per hour, the weather seems to play no role here. With forty minutes left on the clock, Max Verstappen is one of the first to fit the softest tires on his RB21. This earns him the fastest time of the day for the time being.
However, the Dutch driver also struggles with the wind at Monza. In the Parabolica turn, he complains about the stability of his car. Charles Leclerc barely manages to keep his Ferrari on the track at that same spot. For a moment, he loses control of his vehicle, nearly writing it off – much like Antonelli did in 2024. Meanwhile, Verstappen is having more trouble with Haas driver Esteban Ocon. The latter is accused of deliberately blocking him. “What a jerk,” comes the comment over the Dutchman’s radio.
In the final stages of this last free practice at Monza, almost all teams opt for qualifying laps on the red tires. McLaren flexes its muscles and records a one-two, with Lando Norris keeping his teammate at a distance of 0.165 seconds. However, Charles Leclerc manages to snatch the second spot at the last moment. Teammate Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, complains that he is lacking speed. Gabriel Bortoleto stands out with his surprising speed in his Sauber car; he clocks the sixth-fastest time in this final practice session.
The qualification will start this afternoon at 14:00 UTC.
