What the teams said – Friday in Italy

McLaren

Dunne took part in FP1 in place of Piastri, and gave another good account of himself. But that left Norris to fly the flag for the team in terms of the brunt of data collection. He did just that, although his first soft tyre run was slightly interrupted by the red flags. But Norris nailed his run in the second session, finishing on top of the pile. That is despite the McLaren man dipping a wheel in the gravel on a day where Monza fought back. Piastri found conditions trying as well and took longer to get going – but he wound up within touching distance in fourth.

Oscar Piastri - FP2: 1:20.059, P4

“A shorter day for me, with just the one session, but everything felt good, and I felt like I hit the ground running. Thanks to Alex for his support in FP1. We’ve got a few tweaks to make here and there to try and make sure we go into Qualifying as strong as possible, but I felt good on the second Soft run so I am feeling confident. I am looking forward to tomorrow.”

Lando Norris - FP1: 1:21.021, P6; FP2: 1:19.878, P1

“At the moment it’s a little bit close for my liking, but we’re not in a bad spot. We’ve still got a few things to improve, but it’s good we’re still at the top of the timings despite that. It was good that we improved performance throughout the session, but the competition are still close to us. We’ll work hard overnight and see what we can do to try and take another step as we head into FP3 and Quali.”

Alex Dunne - FP1: 1:21.606, P16

“It’s been a good day! I learned a lot, and I was pleased that I knew what I was comfortable with in the car and what I needed to improve on in the session, making sure I didn’t push the limits while also gathering useful information for the team. Thank you to the team for the opportunity to get in the MCL39 again; I am extremely grateful.”

Andrea Stella, Team Principal

"A good start to the weekend with a productive Friday on track in Monza, despite the interruptions caused by Red Flags in both sessions. Alex did a good job in place of Oscar for his second FP1 of the season, completing the bulk of his programme around the delays, while collecting plenty of important data we can take into tomorrow’s practice and Qualifying. Thank you, and well done again to Alex for his smooth session and valuable contribution this weekend.
“Both Lando and Oscar also put in a number of important laps, showing decent pace as we prepare for a competitive weekend with multiple teams in contention to challenge at the front. We will make sure we continue to work hard to maximise our performance to finish this double-header strongly.”

Ferrari

It was a very good opening for Ferrari – just what they needed after last weekend’s disappointment. Hamilton wound up topping the session from his team mate, the first time he has finished P1 in practice since Silverstone. Ferrari might not have topped FP2, but they once again looked good on the soft tyres on the lower fuel runs. Leclerc kept Norris honest, finishing within a tenth of the McLaren man while Hamilton was not too far away. But he does have a five-place grid drop for Sunday’s race, the knowledge of which puts a dampener on proceedings for the seven-time World Champion.

Charles Leclerc - FP1: 1:20.286, P2; FP2: 1:19.961, P2

"Our car was not the most consistent in low and high fuel runs today, but it was fast, which is better than the other way around. We have some work to do on our short runs to extract the best tomorrow, and to work on our consistency. I think it’s going to be a very tight qualifying as was the case last year at this track, for now, things have gone quite well and I think we will have the chance to put up a good fight tomorrow."

Lewis Hamilton - FP1: 1:20.117, P1; FP2: 1:20.070, P5

"It’s very special to be out on track in front of the tifosi, the passion and energy here in Monza is truly unique. The car felt pretty good earlier this afternoon and it was encouraging to finish FP1 on top. We made some changes between sessions that we’ll review carefully, as we’re not sure they took us in the right direction, but we have time to adjust ahead of tomorrow. Our pace over a lap looked strong and we’ve collected valuable information across the tyre compounds so the priority will be to see how we can keep improving race pace. I'm confident the team can make good progress overnight and we’ll be working towards a good qualifying tomorrow."

Williams

Williams had a very good start to their weekend, with both drivers looking quick on the harder tyre compounds. Sainz then ran the softs and wound up in the top three, while Albon stuck with the mediums. In the second session it was more of the same – both drivers looking quick, with Sainz having the edge. They did both seem to hold up some other cars though, so Williams will have to work on traffic management ahead of Qualifying tomorrow.

Alex Albon - FP1: 1:21.073, P7; FP2: 1:20.179, P7

"Honestly, it's been quite a tricky day with our big run plan, but we did get through everything. The cars are quick, and we had reasonable race pace today, so we're in a good place; we just need to make sure that we carry that through to tomorrow. I think we have sweet spots and we've seen that time and time again this year. Our outlaps and getting the tyres working in the window is going to be tricky, so we just need to make sure we can execute what we want to do. I think this weekend we have the ability to score some good points. We've traditionally been on top of the midfield here and I think we can do that again."

Carlos Sainz - FP1: 1:20.650, P3; FP2: 1:19.974, P3

"Today has been a positive day and we seem to have good pace. There are still a few areas which I’d like to finetune, so I can feel a bit more comfortable throughout a few of the corners, but it’s good to have decent pace across both long and short runs. We’ll do some work on the setup tonight and hopefully we can carry this good form the rest of the weekend."

Red Bull

Verstappen was quick to ask about grip levels, as he struggled with sliding on both the medium and soft tyre. But he did look quick on both and wound up near the top of the pile. His second session followed a similar pattern, with some issues with grip as he found his car jumping around on the bumpy track, before he managed to extract a good lap. Tsunoda finished within a couple of tenths of his team mate in FP2, which bodes well for the Japanese racer going into the weekend.

Max Verstappen - FP1: 1:20.692, P4; FP2: 1:20.077, P6

“Today has been quite decent. Last year for us this was a very difficult weekend and we’ve seemed a lot more competitive today which has been good. I am happier with the car as well. The sessions have been quite tricky, especially with a few people going off and putting gravel on the track. I think they might move the gravel in Qualifying but it would be tricky in the race as it is not easy as to keep it under control. It’s been quite a decent Friday for us: there is work to do but it is better.”

Yuki Tsunoda - FP1: 1:21.292, P14; FP2: 1:20.269, P9

"Overall I think that today was a bit up and down but it was pretty positive on the whole and the pace was really, really good. We had a bit of flex and if you have that you have to find out why, we also picked up so much gravel and we didn’t expect that and weren’t sure exactly why. Considering that we were also in and out of traffic we actually ended up with a pretty good lap. Our continuity going into the soft line wasn’t there, I thought for the long run we may have had the pace but we were lacking and we have to balance ourselves between the short run and the long run."

Pierre Wache, Technical Director

“This track is quite specific due to the level of downforce you have to run, last year we had quite high difficulty to set up and stabilise the car. This year we have tried to focus on that aspect in terms of balance, rear wing level and overall tyre management. We have focussed on ourselves and mainly tried to work on set up for the long run and that looks positive, we still have work to do on the Soft, we have struggled during today to extract performance on that compound. The main thing we will be working on overnight is the balance on the Soft and long run optimisation. This track is tricky with the graining, there is a risk here with a smooth track and very high-speed corners. We will try to protect and save the tyre and balance the car well to be successful here."

Mercedes

Antonelli locked up heavily in FP1, flat-spotting his tyres. But Russell fared worse, pulling over with a hydraulic issue late on and being forced to climb out. Luckily the team did not have to change his gearbox, and he was able to come out at the beginning of FP2. But the second session once again went awry for Antonelli, who beached his car in the gravel for the second time in two weekends. That brought out the red flags, and means Antonelli goes into the Saturday of his second home race short of laps.

George Russell - FP1: 1:21.110, P8; FP2: 1:20.276, P10

"It was a tricky day here in Monza. We come to what is a low downforce circuit fresh from running at Zandvoort where we are running higher downforce. The car therefore feels quite different and not quite as planted as it did the week before, particularly at the rear. Whilst it therefore didn’t feel spectacular today, the pace wasn’t too bad. The field is tight; I finished P10 in FP2 but still only just under four tenths shy of P1.

"We will look to make some improvements overnight as I suspect that it will prove to be just as competitive over the rest of the weekend. I struggled for a little bit of confidence and had a few moments, particularly at Turn 7 like Kimi. There’s definitely lap time to be found therefore and if we can unlock that, then we can be confident of having a good weekend."

Kimi Antonelli - FP1: 1:20.940, P5; FP2: 1:21.367, P19

"I pushed a little bit too hard on my second lap in FP2 for the grip conditions and that put me in the gravel. I kept the car running but was unfortunately beached. It was a shame as I’d had a positive FP1 and my first lap on the Hard tyre was strong. It is a setback, but my confidence is still high. I felt confident in the car, and we were moving in the right direction with the set-up. We will adjust our FP3 programme a little to compensate for the lost track time, but we can still look forward to the weekend.

"It certainly looks very close out there. Just under four tenths covered the top 10 in FP2 so small improvements will make a big difference. I am excited to get back out there tomorrow and try to secure a good starting position that sets us up well for Sunday. Let’s see what we can do."

Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director

"It has been a tricky first day on track here in Monza. George wasn’t particularly happy with the balance of the car throughout and Kimi unfortunately lost track time with an off in FP2. George finished the day in P10; it's clear that we need to find a couple of tenths but that is often the case on a Friday. The balance wasn't where he needed it, so we know where to look for improvements.

"Kimi had a solid FP1 session and FP2 started well but ended all too soon when he got stuck in the gravel after a minor off. Despite the set-back, he's happy with the car and had shown good pace in the first session. He's likely to have a busy final practice recovering a bit of ground but there's no reason he shouldn't still be aiming for a good result tomorrow.

"Given how close the field looks, small improvements overnight may have a big impact over the rest of the weekend. We will work diligently with our team-mates both trackside and back at Brackley and Brixworth to get the most out of the car. It's difficult to overtake here so we'll be doing everything we can to have a strong qualifying and secure good starting positions for the grid on Sunday."

Racing Bulls

Hadjar had a moment in the opening session, running wide through the gravel. While he returned to the track in one piece, he brought plenty of loose stuff with him – causing the first red flag of the weekend. He learned that lesson and had a cleaner second session, finishing on the fringes of the top 10. Lawson was a little further back, as he works his way into the weekend.

Isack Hadjar - FP1: 1:21.158, P10; FP2: 1 :20.383, P11

“We knew before coming to Monza that the midfield here would have been very tight. My feeling was right, it’s going to be hard for us to catch up to Williams but not impossible. We’re lacking speed at the moment, but I think that we can have a good shot at fighting to reach another Q3. We know it’s difficult, but obviously that’s our hope, so that then we can try to get some points on Sunday.”

Liam Lawson - FP1: 1:21.201, P13; FP2: 1:20.811, P17

“Today’s sessions were tough and with very small margins, but we were pushing to extract every bit of performance from the car. We missed a little today, but we’ll learn from it and will be in a better position for tomorrow. We made setup changes between FP1 and FP2, expecting certain improvements, but it didn’t go as planned. We’ll work on getting on top of things and optimising the car for Qualifying. There’s still work to be done, but hopefully we can fight for a spot in Q3."

Mattia Spini, Chief Race Engineer

“Monza is one of the most extreme tracks of the season, with its long straights demanding the lowest drag and aero load. This inevitably increases sliding in the corners and makes the softer compounds more vulnerable to graining.

"For this weekend, we introduced a bodywork update which was fitted on Liam’s car, but there is still some work to do to give him a car he feels fully comfortable with.

"In FP1, we looked competitive on the Hard compound but less so on the Soft. Between sessions we made some substantial setup changes which allowed Isack to put together a solid lap. While we are in the fight, we still need to find a couple of tenths to match the leading midfield runners. The team will make every effort overnight to deliver a competitive car for tomorrow.”

Aston Martin

Alonso wasn’t expecting this track to overly suit the car, but he managed a decent slot in the opening session. He faded in the second session, though, while Stroll was left frustrated by traffic in FP2. Aston Martin look like they have their work cut out to repeat the results of the past couple of races, so there is work to do for the team overnight to extract everything possible from their package.

Fernando Alonso - FP1: 1:21.114, P9; FP2: 1:20.645, P15

"It was an okay Friday for us with a lot of grip on this asphalt and these temperatures. We did a mixture of high fuel and low fuel running today and I didn't feel that competitive, so we need to try to find more pace overnight."

Lance Stroll - FP1: 1:21.295, P15; FP2: 1:20.528, P13

"Good memories racing in Monza and I always enjoy coming back here – the track, the fans and the energy are really special. We've got some good running in today so we now need to look at the data and see what we can do overnight.

"We came here with realistic expectations, the car has its strengths and weaknesses and this is a track where we’re expecting a more challenging weekend than our most recent performance in Zandvoort and Budapest."

Kick Sauber

After a steady opening session by both drivers, Bortoleto looked to have come a cropper in FP2. He overtook a car under yellow flags and was called to the stewards to explain the situation, but ultimately escaped without a penalty. As for their on-track speed, Kick Sauber look in good shape towards the front of the midfield, and could be fighting to get one car into Q3 tomorrow if they can extract a tiny bit more pace.

Nico Hulkenberg - FP1: 1:21.179, P12; FP2: 1:20.241, P8

“It was a straightforward Friday for us, with no issues. We focused on running through our programme, gathering data on the car, the package, and the tyres. We made some good progress from FP1 to FP2 today, and the aim now is to keep building on that over the weekend.”

Gabriel Bortoleto - FP1: 1:21.172, P11; FP2: 1:20.475, P12

“Driving in Monza is always special, and I’m quite happy with the work we did today. Overall, it was a positive, productive day: we got good laps in, worked on understanding the car balance, and did some fine-tuning here and there. Tomorrow we’ll keep pushing with another practice session before we head into qualifying. Big thanks to the whole team for today’s work – we keep moving forward.”

Haas

Haas had a quiet opening day at Monza. No major incidents for either driver, although Bearman did run wide a couple of times. But the team look to be lacking pace over one lap here, finishing down the order in both sessions. Ocon had the edge in FP2, before Bearman returned the favour in FP2.

Esteban Ocon – FP1: 1:21.642, P17; FP2: 1:20.654, P16

“It’s interesting to get back to Monza, it’s a very special circuit with a lot of unique characteristics. I think we improved the car from FP1 to FP2, but we need a little bit more tomorrow as we’re not where we want to be in terms of pace, but it’s close out there. We improved the balance and how the car felt, we know the direction we need to go, and it’s up to us now to make the difference.”

Oliver Bearman - FP1: 1:22.058, P19; FP2: 1:20.607, P14

“It was a good day overall, and we improved a lot from FP1 to FP2. In FP1 I personally struggled a lot with the car, especially in the low-speed corners, which is obviously quite important on a track like this. In FP2 we made a big step in car feeling and confidence levels, so that was positive, and we’ll try to make a few more steps before the race. I was struggling a little bit in Parabolica with car balance, the wind wasn’t in our favour, so that was the biggest time loss. It looks like we’re lacking on the straights and I’m not sure what we can do about that, but we’ll work overnight to see how we can improve.”

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal

“In FP1, we didn’t start too strongly but our reaction has been good. Everyone worked well together and that’s improved the car, so both drivers are much happier. On low-fuel, we have a bit more set-up work to do but it’s pretty clear which area we need to work on. On high-fuel, we’ve got a decent baseline, so I’d say it’s been a reasonably successful Friday. I’m very happy with how we worked both in sessions but particularly between FP1 and FP2, so we’ll do that again tonight and see what improvement we can find in FP3.”

Alpine

Aron was in the car for FP1 in place of Colapinto, having also driven for Kick Sauber this season. The Argentine racer returned for the second session, but struggled to extract much pace and propped up the field. As for Gasly, he had a hairy moment running through the gravel on a day where the perfect lap eluded many. He was also struggling for pace like his team mate, having said yesterday that this could be a tough weekend for the team.

Pierre Gasly - FP1: 1:21.653, P18; FP2: 1:21.102, P18

“It is always good to be driving in Monza and it is obviously a place with special memories and meaning for me, especially since I live nearby in Milan and stay at home for the race weekend! Driving down the main straight here is a special feeling and the high top speed is always amazing to experience. It was a busy day of Practice, which ran to plan. We completed a lot of laps, well over 300km in total across the day, and gathered a lot of useful data on both low and high fuel. We knew going into the weekend it would be challenging for us. We had minor damage after running wide at Ascari in Free Practice 2 but nothing too bad. We will, of course, aim to maximise what we have and see what we can do tomorrow. I'll give it my all to try and find some lap time and see where that leaves us in Qualifying.”

Franco Colapinto - FP2: 1:21.564, P20

“A slightly different Friday for me today with Paul driving in Free Practice 1. It was good to be back in the car for the second session and on track again at Monza. It is a circuit I know well from my junior racing days and my Formula 1 debut last year. For us, today has been tough but it was probably to be expected here. We have some work to do and I am sure we will work hard together to find some improvements. The car was tricky to drive and we just need to see if we can adapt to some of these limitations. We have Qualifying tomorrow, so we will see what we can do in Free Practice 3 and make the necessary changes to the car.”

Paul Aron - FP1: 1:22.153, P20

“It was great to be with the team driving in Free Practice 1 for the first time in Alpine colours. Any time driving a Formula 1 car is a great opportunity and it was a lot of fun to drive in Monza at such a fantastic track. It was a busy session with a lot happening and a lot to run through. We managed to stick to our programme, which is the main thing, and I was pleased to be very much on the pace straight away. It is a busy Friday for me as I am on the simulator at Enstone tonight to help out there so hopefully we can find some improvements going into tomorrow. Thanks to the team for the opportunity, another good experience and I look forward to the next Practice outing later in the season.”

Pirelli

Simone Berra, Pirelli Chief Engineer

“After a first session which had several interruptions costing everyone valuable time, the second hour went more smoothly, with the teams running a fairly standard programme. It was interesting to see how all three available compounds were used for race simulations. Compared to last year, graining does not seem to be a factor. The level of it seen today is much more localised on the surface of the tyre and did not appear across the board, but on just a few cars. We believe that, as the track gradually rubbers in, it should disappear, especially during Sunday’s race.

"In terms of strategy, given that degradation seems rather limited, the one-stop would seem to be the only plausible option, with on paper the Medium and Hard being used. However, use of the Soft for 15 to 20 laps cannot be ruled out for any drivers who manage to run a very long first stint, trying to make the most of its better performance. Furthermore, as it’s likely that by the time of the race all drivers should only have one remaining set of Mediums one of Hard available, the Soft could become an option, especially in the event of a neutralisation and therefore, knowing how it performs over a long distance could be useful. In terms of the time gap between the compounds, simulations seem to be in line with what has been seen on track today, namely four to five tenths between Medium and Soft and two tenths between Hard and Medium.

“Today’s lap times were considerably quicker than in these sessions last year, with an improvement of around nine tenths, mainly down to temperatures being lower by about ten degrees. Times came down very quickly in the first session because of track evolution, while they pretty much stabilised in the second.

“If the Soft proved capable of setting faster times even after a couple of cooling down laps, that was mainly down to track evolution. In fact, we believe that in tomorrow’s qualifying the first flying lap will see peak performance so we will be treated to a classic qualifying format.”