George Russell Tops Monza Final Practice Session
George Russell lit up Monza on Saturday morning, topping a frantic final practice session and underlining Mercedes’ growing authority heading into Qualifying at the Italian Grand Prix.
The Briton, already fastest in Friday’s second practice, drilled in a 1m 22.219s as the clock wound down, edging Lewis Hamilton by two tenths and leaving Max Verstappen third in a session that was as much about elbows and attitude as it was about lap time.
Slow burn, then chaos
The hour began almost in silence. When the pit lane light flicked green at 12:30 local time, only the Audi pair of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg ventured out, circulating largely alone before the Alpines joined them.
Williams’ day started with a jolt. Alex Albon immediately reported a steering wheel problem and was rolled back into the garage, his car up on the stands while the session around him gathered pace. The issue appeared to be resolved soon after, and he was released into what quickly became heavy traffic.
Pierre Gasly set the early marker inside the first 15 minutes, though the headline names had yet to show their hand. Ferrari then sent Charles Leclerc and Hamilton – in scarlet this weekend – onto the circuit on soft tyres, drawing a roar from the Tifosi as the red cars finally joined the party.
Antonelli steals the early spotlight
On a weekend where he will start from the back after an engine-change grid penalty, Kimi Antonelli gave the home fans something else to shout about. The Mercedes driver fired in a 1m 23.032s to go quickest and held that position through the middle phase of the session, two tenths clear of Leclerc with Gasly slotting into third.
The session never settled. Liam Lawson looped his Red Bull at the first chicane, triggering brief yellow flags and complaining about “the rear in low speed” over the radio. Albon, trying to recover time after his early delay, picked up a warning for failing to follow the Race Director’s instructions at the escape road.
Others found the limits too. Oscar Piastri locked up into Turn 1, skated down the escape route, and came back with a pointedly sarcastic “great” over team radio as he wrestled with his McLaren.
Russell turns the screw
Just past halfway, Russell made his first real statement. He punched in a 1m 22.697s, three tenths quicker than Antonelli and clear of his team mate, only to be boxed in almost immediately by a cluster of slower cars. His frustration crackled over the radio as he insisted there was nothing he could do in the traffic.
The closing quarter of the session turned into a flat-out Qualifying rehearsal. Fresh soft tyres appeared across the field, with Antonelli, Russell and Verstappen among the first to commit. Lap times tumbled.
Williams, staring at a back-row start for Albon due to engine penalties, leaned into strategy. Albon offered a tow to Carlos Sainz, a move clearly aimed at rehearsing a slipstream play they hope will pay off when it really counts later in the day. Both drivers, though, were placed under investigation after the session for a potential yellow-flag infringement.
Verstappen, mired in the pack, vented about a Ferrari “always in the way” as he tried to stitch together a clean lap. Russell, too, was noted for a possible impeding incident with Piastri, but the stewards swiftly ruled that no further action was required.
Old rivals, familiar tension
The most charged moment came between two men who know each other too well. Hamilton and Verstappen went wheel-to-wheel down the main straight after Hamilton slipped ahead, the pair running side by side before a tense squeeze into Turn 2. Both drivers voiced their displeasure on the radio, the stewards noted the incident, then chose not to investigate.
On the stopwatch, though, no one could touch Russell’s late flyer. His 1m 22.219s stood firm at the chequered flag, with Hamilton’s best effort leaving him two tenths adrift in second and Verstappen completing the top three.
Antonelli held on to an impressive fourth, ahead of Lando Norris in the lead McLaren and Leclerc in sixth. Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad produced a strong showing in seventh, followed by Piastri, early pacesetter Gasly and Franco Colapinto in the second Alpine to round out the top 10.
Hulkenberg ended up 11th, leading Lawson, Bortoleto, Haas rookie Ollie Bearman, Yuki Tsunoda, Sainz, the other Haas of Esteban Ocon and Albon. At the tail of the order, the Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll struggled, classified 19th and 22nd, split only by the Cadillacs of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez.
Russell leaves final practice as the man to beat. Monza, though, has a habit of tearing up scripts once Qualifying begins at 16:00 local time.
