News summary
- George Russell says Ferrari remains the “team to beat” at Monza despite Mercedes topping FP2 on Friday.
- Russell praised Mercedes’ qualifying and race pace after finishing 3rd in FP1 and fastest in FP2.
- Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull remain in contention, according to Russell, who expects a close fight to continue into Saturday.
George Russell ended Friday as the fastest driver at the Italian GP, but the Mercedes driver was reluctant to label his team the favorite for victory at Monza.
The Briton had a strong opening day, finishing 3rd in FP1 behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton before going fastest in FP2 with a 1:22.559. Russell’s performance gave Mercedes an early advantage, but he emphasized that Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull remain threats.
Russell’s FP2 performance, which put him 0.120s ahead of Leclerc, came in a closely contested session in which Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished 3rd, Lando Norris 4th and Lewis Hamilton 5th. Russell topped a tight FP2 session at Monza, while Max Verstappen ended the day only 9th.
“It was great to be back on track here in Monza. It’s a fantastic circuit and always fun to drive. We had a pretty strong Friday; we managed to get a lot of work done and it looks like we had good pace both on the single lap and in race pace,” Russell said.
“We made some adjustments after FP1 that helped, but we know we still have more work to do overnight,” he added.
Despite Mercedes’ strong pace, Russell pointed to Ferrari as the benchmark heading into the rest of the weekend. Ferrari introduced its second power-unit upgrade of the season at Monza, while Leclerc led a Ferrari 1-2 in FP1.
“Ferrari looked very competitive and they remain the team to beat. We also know how strong McLaren has been recently and I have no doubt they will be in the fight tomorrow. We also can’t discount Red Bull. It’s an encouraging start to the weekend, but it’s still early. Let’s see what Saturday brings,” Russell concluded.
The comments reflect the uncertainty surrounding the competitive order at Monza. Mercedes had the fastest car over a single lap on Friday, but Ferrari showed strong pace through the high-speed sections, while McLaren remained within striking distance despite not appearing to extract its full qualifying potential.
Red Bull had a more difficult Friday, with Verstappen struggling with grip and front-end instability in FP2. Even so, Russell does not believe the reigning team can be excluded from the fight, particularly at a circuit where power-unit performance and efficiency are crucial.
The result also represents an important opportunity for Russell in the 2026 Drivers’ Championship. The Mercedes driver is trying to close the gap to teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who leads the standings but will start the Italian GP from the back of the grid following a power-unit penalty.
For now, however, Russell is refusing to get carried away by Mercedes’ Friday advantage. Ferrari remains his pick as the team to beat, setting up a potentially tight qualifying battle at Monza on Saturday.
FAQ
Who was fastest on Friday at the Italian GP?
George Russell was the fastest driver across Friday’s sessions, topping FP2 with a 1:22.559 after finishing 3rd in FP1.
Why does Russell consider Ferrari the team to beat?
Russell pointed to Ferrari’s strong performance at Monza, where Charles Leclerc led FP1 and finished 2nd in FP2, just 0.120s behind the Mercedes driver.
Can McLaren and Red Bull still fight for victory?
Yes. Russell said McLaren and Red Bull cannot be discounted, despite Mercedes and Ferrari appearing strongest on Friday.
