George Russell leads final practice at Monza, sets pace ahead of Ferrari and Red Bull

Summary

In the Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza, George Russell topped both practice sessions, indicating Mercedes' strong form. Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli staged a remarkable comeback, ultimately winning the race after a tense battle with Russell, who traded the lead with him multiple times. This unexpected result highlights the unpredictable nature of the race and the potential for surprises at Monza. The practice results suggest Mercedes remains a key contender, but Antonelli's win could shake up the race dynamics.

The Full Story

George Russell topped the timesheets in the final practice session ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, setting a fastest lap of 1m 22.219s to edge out Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. The Mercedes driver built on his strong showing from Friday’s second practice, maintaining momentum as the teams prepared for qualifying and the race weekend ahead.

The session began quietly, with only a few cars initially on track, including Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg. Early trouble struck Williams’ Alex Albon, who experienced a steering wheel issue that briefly sidelined him before the problem was resolved and he returned to the circuit. As more cars joined, Pierre Gasly briefly held the fastest time early on, but the pace quickly escalated once the frontrunners hit the track.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton ventured out on soft tyres, much to the delight of the Tifosi, signaling the Scuderia’s intent to challenge Mercedes and Red Bull. Kimi Antonelli, driving for Mercedes but set to start from the back due to an engine change penalty, made an early statement by topping the timesheets with a 1m 23.032s lap.

The session saw some incidents, including a spin for Red Bull’s Liam Lawson at the first chicane, who reported difficulties with rear grip in low-speed corners. Albon received a warning for not adhering to Race Director instructions regarding the escape road, while Oscar Piastri locked up and ran off track, expressing his frustration over the tricky conditions.

Russell soon reclaimed the top spot with a 1m 22.697s lap, outpacing his teammate, though he noted on the radio that traffic was hindering his ability to improve further. In the closing stages, several drivers, including Antonelli, Russell, and Verstappen, switched to fresh soft tyres to push for faster times, but Russell’s earlier effort remained unbeaten.

The performance from Russell and Mercedes comes after a Friday where the team showed strong pace, with Russell leading the second practice session. However, Ferrari remained close, having topped the first practice and narrowly missing out on the top spot in the second. Mercedes Deputy Team Principal Bradley Lord has acknowledged Ferrari as favourites based on Friday’s running, suggesting the battle at Monza remains finely poised [2].

Russell’s pace at Monza offers a timely boost for his championship campaign, with the British driver demonstrating the potential to challenge the traditional frontrunners on one of the fastest circuits on the calendar. The session’s outcome sets the stage for an intense qualifying battle, where track position and tyre strategy will be crucial.

As the teams head into qualifying, all eyes will be on whether Mercedes can convert their practice pace into pole position and race dominance, or if Ferrari and Red Bull will have surprises in store for the Italian crowd. The weekend promises a compelling contest as the championship battle intensifies.