Entertainment

George Russell leads Friday practice for Italian Grand Prix

Mercedes driver finishes ahead of Charles Leclerc at Monza as teammate Kimi Antonelli faces a grid penalty.

Updated Sep 4, 2026 · 16:20 UTC1 reports

The short version

George Russell set the fastest lap in Friday practice at Monza, edging out Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by 0.120 seconds.
Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli recorded the third-fastest time but faces a back-of-the-grid start due to excess engine component usage.
Ferrari introduced an engine upgrade for the race weekend, while Max Verstappen finished ninth in the session.
Qualifying and the race will determine whether Ferrari's engine upgrades translate into competitive gains against Mercedes.

George Russell recorded the fastest time in Friday practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, leading Charles Leclerc by 0.120 seconds.[BBC News]
Kimi Antonelli finished third fastest for Mercedes but will receive a grid penalty sending him to the back of the field for exceeding allowed engine components.[BBC News]
McLaren's Lando Norris, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, and McLaren's Oscar Piastri placed fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively.[BBC News]
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen placed ninth, ending the session 0.818 seconds behind Russell.[BBC News]
Formula 1 announced a three-day pre-season fan event scheduled for February 18–20 in Milan involving all 11 teams.[BBC News]

The full competitive impact of Ferrari's newly introduced engine upgrade remains unverified until qualifying and race sessions.[BBC News]
Long-run race simulation comparisons during practice remained inconclusive due to teams running different tire compounds.[BBC News]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.