Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton Lead Ferrari One-Two in Monza Practice Session

Ferrari ran a throwback livery honoring Michael Schumacher’s first season with the team in 1996, marking the 30th anniversary of that campaign.
Ferrari topped the session without using the soft tires at all, while Leclerc set the fastest time on mediums; Mercedes, by contrast, was the first team to switch to the soft compound.
Four rookies participated in the session: Cadillac’s Colton Herta, Red Bull’s Ayumu Iwasa, Alpine’s Paul Aron and Williams’ Luke Browning. Teams also used the early running for aerodynamic data collection, including Ferrari flow-visualization work and Red Bull rake testing.
Herta’s practice appearance was also intended to help him earn another superlicence point, but he did not receive one because he lacked sufficient mileage during the outing.
Conditions were exceptionally hot, with air temperatures around 30°C and track temperatures reaching 50–51°C; organizers had already issued a heat-hazard warning for Sunday.
Charles Leclerc topped Ferrari's opening practice at Monza with a 1:23.008 lap on medium tires, beating teammate Lewis Hamilton by 0.173 seconds in a commanding one-two finish Motorsport Week. Ferrari arrived at its home race with new circuit-specific upgrades, including a fresh engine and low-drag aerodynamic parts, and wasted no time showing its strength Motorsport.com. The session ran in brutal heat—air temps hit 30°C with track temps reaching 50–51°C—forcing teams to manage thermal challenges while gathering data for Sunday's race RaceFans.
Ferrari honored Michael Schumacher's 1996 debut season with a special throwback livery, celebrating three decades since the German legend's first year with the Scuderia Motorsport Week. The retro design gave fans an emotional connection to one of Formula 1's greatest partnerships. The timing felt perfect: on the team's home track, Ferrari was flexing serious pace with both cars near the front of the grid.
Kimi Antonelli, currently leading the championship, will start Sunday's race from the back of the grid after a power-unit change Motorsport.com. The penalty strips him of his front-row advantage but gives Ferrari room to maximize Leclerc's qualifying position. Antonelli still finished fifth in FP1, showing the car's baseline pace despite the grid hit he'll absorb.
Four rookie drivers got track time at Monza: Cadillac's Colton Herta, Red Bull's Ayumu Iwasa, Alpine's Paul Aron, and Williams' Luke Browning Motorsport Week. Herta encountered hydraulic trouble that triggered a brief red flag midway through the session. Although Herta aimed to earn a superlicence point with the appearance, he didn't log enough mileage to qualify for one Motorsport Week.
Despite the grueling 50–51°C track temperatures, teams used FP1 to gather aerodynamic insights for their Monza setups RaceFans. Ferrari ran flow-visualization tests while Red Bull conducted rake testing to understand car balance. Mercedes became the first team to deploy soft tires, while Ferrari proved its medium-tire pace was already competitive enough to lead the session without touching the softer compound PitPass. Organizers issued a heat-hazard warning for race day, signaling Sunday could be even more punishing.
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