George Russell Tops Final Practice at 2026 Italian Grand Prix Ahead of Hamilton and Verstappen

Summary

In the last practice session for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, George Russell set the fastest time, narrowly beating Lewis Hamilton. The Tifosi continue to hope Ferrari can perform well in the race, though no specific Ferrari results are mentioned. The full results from Saturday's practice are now published, providing insight into team performances ahead of qualifying and the race itself.

The Full Story

George Russell set the pace in the final free practice session for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix, edging out his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The third and last practice run at Monza was marked by a mixture of competitive lap times and on-track incidents, including several drivers running off into gravel traps and some moments of impeding that disrupted flying laps. Despite these challenges, Russell managed to secure the fastest time, continuing his strong form ahead of qualifying.

The session saw a diverse representation at the top, with four different teams occupying the top five positions, signalling a competitive and unpredictable qualifying battle. Russell’s performance underlines Mercedes’ pace at this stage of the weekend, with Hamilton close behind, reinforcing the team’s potential to challenge the front-runners at the historic Monza circuit.

Ferrari, racing in front of their passionate home crowd, showed signs of promise but were unable to break into the top three in this session. The Tifosi remain hopeful for a strong showing in qualifying and the race, as the team seeks to capitalize on their home advantage. The session’s dynamics, with multiple teams spread across the leaderboard, suggest that the Italian Grand Prix could be a closely fought contest.

The practice was not without its frustrations. Several drivers experienced excursions into the gravel, which interrupted their runs and limited their ability to set representative lap times. Additionally, some drivers were caught up in impeding incidents, which are always a concern in the tightly packed practice sessions where every fraction of a second counts. These factors contributed to a somewhat chaotic final practice but did not prevent Russell from asserting his pace.

With four teams represented in the top five, the stage is set for an intriguing qualifying session. The spread of competitive times indicates that no single team has a clear advantage, and the battle for pole position is wide open. This competitive balance adds an extra layer of excitement as teams and drivers prepare to push their limits in the decisive qualifying session.

Looking ahead, the focus will shift to qualifying, where the grid order for Sunday’s race will be determined. The performance in FP3 often serves as a strong indicator of qualifying pace, and Russell’s leading time puts him in a favourable position. However, with such close competition and the unpredictable nature of Monza, the final starting lineup remains anyone’s guess.

The Italian Grand Prix weekend continues with qualifying later today, promising intense on-track action as drivers aim to secure the best possible starting positions for the race. The Tifosi will be eagerly watching to see if Ferrari can convert their home advantage into a front-row start and if Mercedes can maintain their strong form demonstrated in the final practice session [1].