Leclerc leads Ferrari 1-2 in Italian GP FP1 and fuels home hopes

News summary

• Charles Leclerc led a Ferrari 1-2 in FP1 at Monza, setting a 1:23.008 on medium tires.
• Lewis Hamilton finished second, 0.1s behind his teammate, while George Russell placed Mercedes third on soft tires.
• Gabriel Bortoleto finished eighth for Audi as teams ran contrasting programs during the first session of the Italian GP weekend.

With little to lose and hoping for a small miracle in front of Ferrari’s passionate home crowd, Charles Leclerc gave the Italian team reason to dream by topping FP1 at the Italian GP on Friday (September 4). The Monegasque set a 1:23.008 at Monza, with Lewis Hamilton 0.1s behind to complete a Ferrari 1-2. George Russell was third for Mercedes.

Ferrari set the pace from the early stages of the session, while McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull remained within roughly three to four tenths of the leading cars. The gaps, however, were influenced by different run plans, particularly at Mercedes, where Andrea Kimi Antonelli is set to start the Grand Prix from the back of the grid after taking a fifth power unit of the season.

It is therefore too early to establish a definitive competitive order. Ferrari’s performance was nevertheless encouraging, particularly with the team introducing its latest power-unit upgrade at Monza. Leclerc and Hamilton were able to set the fastest sector times in sections combining the long straights with high-speed corners, while both Ferrari drivers recorded their best laps on medium tires.

Russell was third with a 1:23.312, set on soft tires. Liam Lawson, still replacing Isack Hadjar at Red Bull, was followed by Antonelli, Lando Norris, Arvid Lindblad, Gabriel Bortoleto, Franco Colapinto and Paul Aron to complete the top 10.

How FP1 unfolded at Monza

With four rookies taking part — Ayumu Iwasa at Red Bull, Colton Herta at Cadillac, Paul Aron at Alpine and Luke Browning at Williams — the session began in hot conditions. Air temperature stood at 30°C, while the track had already reached 49°C, with humidity at 41%.

Despite the heat, Pirelli brought its softest available range to Monza, with the C3, C4 and C5 compounds selected for the weekend because of the circuit’s low asphalt abrasiveness.

The first 10 minutes saw most drivers using hard and medium tires, with Lawson the notable exception as he went straight onto the soft compound. Russell initially led the session with a 1:25.259.

Piastri moved into second, just 0.074s behind the Mercedes driver, while Antonelli was third. Leclerc then lowered Russell’s benchmark by seven tenths with a 1:24.482, showing particularly strong pace in the second and third sectors — and doing so on hard tires.

The times continued to fall as the session progressed. Piastri and Lawson briefly moved to the top before Hamilton responded with a 1:24.291 to take the lead.

Bortoleto had yet to record a representative lap at that stage, while teammate Nico Hülkenberg was 12th.

Russell subsequently returned to the top with a 1:23.802, three tenths faster than Norris, who had briefly led the timing screens.

Bortoleto joined the action with around 45 minutes remaining. On medium tires, the Audi driver moved into 14th, between Carlos Sainz and Valtteri Bottas.

Herta then came to a halt on the main straight, bringing out the red flag and interrupting the session.

FP1 resumed with 33 minutes remaining and Norris at the top with a 1:23.719. The Mercedes drivers quickly took over after switching to soft tires, with Russell leading Antonelli by three tenths on a 1:23.312.

Leclerc then fitted the medium compound and immediately produced the session’s fastest lap. Strong performances in the first and final sectors helped the Ferrari driver set a 1:23.008 and move to the top of the timing screens.

The expectation was that the benchmark would fall further once all of the frontrunners completed soft-tire runs. Leclerc’s pace was nevertheless notable, particularly through the section featuring the Variante Ascari and the fast Parabolica, potentially offering an early indication of how Ferrari’s upgraded power unit is working with the low-downforce configuration used at Monza.

Hamilton was initially third, 0.5s behind Leclerc, before closing the gap. Bortoleto, meanwhile, had moved to 11th, just 0.028s behind Yuki Tsunoda, while Lindblad was seventh.

With just over 15 minutes remaining, Hamilton reported a problem with battery recharging over the radio. After returning to the pits for checks, he went back out on medium tires and set a 1:23.181, moving to within 0.173s of Leclerc.

The final 10 minutes were largely devoted to race simulations, but Bortoleto still had time to make another jump up the order. The Audi driver switched to soft tires and moved into eighth, finishing ahead of Lindblad and underlining the potential for a close fight between Audi and Racing Bulls.

The 2026 Formula 1 season continues this weekend at Monza, with the Italian GP taking place from September 4-6. GRANDE PRÊMIO will cover all the action from the 13th round of the championship.

F1 Italian GP: FP1 results

FAQ

Who topped FP1 at the Italian GP?
Charles Leclerc led FP1 at Monza for Ferrari with a 1:23.008, finishing ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton.

What tire did Leclerc use for his fastest lap?
Leclerc set his 1:23.008 on medium tires, while George Russell recorded his third-place time on softs.

How did Gabriel Bortoleto perform in FP1?
Bortoleto finished eighth for Audi after moving into the top 10 during the final stages of the session.