The activities at the Monza circuit began with Ferrari dominating the first free practice session of the Italian Grand Prix. Leclerc and Hamilton finished at the top of the timing sheets without needing to resort to soft tires, although the result was considered unrepresentative.
In the second free practice session held in the afternoon, Mercedes responded to Ferrari's performance. George Russell closed the day in the lead with a time of 1:22.559, demonstrating the competitiveness of the silver car at Monza.
Leclerc finished the session just one tenth of a second behind Russell, confirming the fierce competition between the two teams. Kimi Antonelli completed the top three, also with a strong performance for Mercedes.
Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz were far behind the leaders, unable to match the pace of Mercedes and Ferrari in both practice sessions on Friday at Monza.
