Lewis Hamilton tops Italian Grand Prix FP1 timings during Ferrari debut in Monza

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Formula 1 has headed to Monza for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, with two rookies taking part in Free Practice 1.

Lewis Hamilton made his way onto the iconic track early in the session, making his debut with Ferrari in front of the team’s home crowd. All eyes are on the Brit and his teammate, Charles Leclerc, this weekend as pressure mounts on the team for a strong performance this weekend.

Tifosi hopes will have been slightly elevated after FP1, with Ferrari topping the time sheets for the first practice session. Hamilton set the fastest time during the 1-hour practice, with hopes this could continue over the weekend.

Italian Kimi Antonelli also made his Monza debut as a full-time Formula 1 driver on Friday, after previously taking part in FP1 for Mercedes at the track last season. Antonelli’s rookie test ended in heartbreak after just 10 minutes, when he crashed at the Parabolica.

Williams looked strong during FP1, with Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz both setting laps that saw them towards the top of the leaderboard for the majority of the session. Sainz ended the session in P3, just half a second behind Hamilton.

The session ended under safety car conditions when George Russell struggled with a hydraulics issue heading towards the Variante chicane.

Paul Aron makes Alpine rookie debut in Monza

Rookie Paul Aron went for an early spin during the session. The Alpine reserve driver touched the gravel heading into Turn 4, leaving him sideways near the chicane. Aron will have faced intense scrutiny from the team during FP1, as Alpine bosses look at who will get the second seat in 2026.

Despite the pressure, the Estonian finished at the bottom of the timing sheets, although will take some comfort that Gasly was just 5 tenths faster.

Alex Dunne struggled during the early part of his rookie test in Oscar Piastri’s car, suffering from headrest issues for the first half of the session. Dunne was later impeded by Oliver Bearman during a flying lap, with the Irishman stuck behind the Haas on the racing line.

Dunne, who had previously impressed during his FP1 session in Silverstone, was unable to put in a strong lap at Monza, finishing 15th in the timing sheet.

Isack Hadjar triggers red flag after gravel splash

The session was red-flagged with 25 minutes remaining after Isack Hadjar struggled for grip at the Ascari chicane, sprinkling a significant amount of gravel onto the track. There were a number of reports about grip issues over the course of the session, with Max Verstappen complaining: “No grip, I just slide a lot,” over his team radio.

Leclerc avoided a penalty during the session after he overtook a Sauber as the session was red-flagged. The Monegasque was on a fast lap and was about to overtake Nico Hulkenberg as the session was stopped, and despite braking hard, still passed the Sauber.

Full timings for the 2025 Italian Grand Prix FP1 session