Ferrari Start Strong at Monza! Italian GP 2026 - FP1 Reaction
Ferrari Take First and Second
You couldn't ask for a much better start to Ferrari's home Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc topped FP1 with a 1:23.008, putting the Ferrari at the top of the timing screens in front of the Tifosi. Just behind him was teammate Lewis Hamilton, who finished only 0.173 seconds away from Leclerc. Seeing the two red cars first and second will certainly get the Ferrari fans excited. Of course, this is only FP1. We don't know the exact fuel loads or programmes each team was running, and there's still plenty of time for the competitive order to change. But a Ferrari 1–2 is still a very encouraging way to begin the weekend.
Could Ferrari Win at Monza?
The big question now is whether Ferrari can maintain this performance throughout the weekend. Winning at Monza means something special to Ferrari. The circuit is packed with history, and thousands of passionate Tifosi arrive every year hoping to see a Ferrari driver standing on the top step of the podium. After FP1, there is at least some reason for optimism. Leclerc clearly has pace, while Hamilton has also started the weekend strongly but Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull aren't going to make things easy.
Russell Keeps Mercedes Close
George Russell finished third for Mercedes and showed that Ferrari won't have everything their own way. Russell was around three-tenths away from Leclerc's fastest lap. Mercedes have been one of the strongest teams this season, so seeing Russell near the front isn't much of a surprise. The question is how much more performance Mercedes can find before qualifying. If Russell can close that gap, we could be heading towards another very close fight for pole.
Impressive Start for Liam Lawson
One of the standout performances from FP1 came from Liam Lawson, who put the Red Bull fourth fastest. That's a very encouraging start to the weekend. Lawson immediately showed some promising pace around Monza and put himself among the leading drivers. Whether Red Bull can maintain that position as the other teams turn up their performance remains to be seen, but fourth is certainly a strong opening result.
Antonelli Begins His Home Weekend
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished fifth for Mercedes. Like Ferrari, Antonelli will have plenty of support from the Italian fans this weekend but this could be a complicated Grand Prix for the championship leader because of his expected grid penalty. That means Mercedes won't just be thinking about qualifying pace. They'll also want a car capable of racing through the field. Fortunately, Monza can provide overtaking opportunities thanks to its long straights and heavy braking zones. Antonelli could have an interesting race ahead of him.
Norris Starts Sixth
Lando Norris finished sixth for McLaren. After winning the previous two Grands Prix, Norris arrives at Monza with plenty of momentum. Sixth might not look spectacular on paper, but nobody should be writing McLaren off after one practice session. Teams run different fuel levels and programmes throughout Friday practice, meaning the timing screens don't always tell us the full story. It'll be interesting to see whether Norris begins moving towards Ferrari and Mercedes as the weekend develops.
Piastri Has Work to Do
It was a more difficult opening session for Oscar Piastri, who finished 11th in the second McLaren. McLaren will be looking closely at the differences between their two cars before the next session. There's no reason to panic after FP1, but Piastri will certainly want to move further up the order.
Some Interesting Performances
There were also some impressive performances further down the field. Arvid Lindblad finished seventh for Racing Bulls, while Gabriel Bortoleto took eighth for Audi. Franco Colapinto put his Alpine ninth, with reserve driver Paul Aron completing the top ten. Aron getting himself into the top ten during an FP1 appearance was a particularly respectable performance.
Italian GP FP1 – Top 10
P1 – Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
P2 – Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari
P3 – George Russell – Mercedes
P4 – Liam Lawson – Red Bull
P5 – Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
P6 – Lando Norris – McLaren
P7 – Arvid Lindblad – Racing Bulls
P8 – Gabriel Bortoleto – Audi
P9 – Franco Colapinto – Alpine
P10 – Paul Aron – Alpine
On The Pit Wall Verdict
The biggest story from FP1 is obvious: Ferrari have started their home Grand Prix with a 1–2. Leclerc topping the session ahead of Hamilton is exactly what the Tifosi wanted to see. However, it's far too early to say Ferrari are definitely the team to beat. Russell and Mercedes are close, Red Bull showed some promising pace and I wouldn't expect McLaren to stay down in sixth and 11th for the rest of the weekend. FP2 should give us a much better idea of everyone's true race pace but for now, Ferrari fans can enjoy seeing two red cars sitting at the top of the timing screens.
💬 What Do You Think?
Are Ferrari genuine contenders for victory at Monza?
Could Charles Leclerc win the Italian Grand Prix, or could Lewis Hamilton take a famous victory in Ferrari colours?
And what about Mercedes and McLaren?
Let me know your predictions!
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