Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 in Monza final practice
NXTbets Pro | Published On: September 5, 2026
Russell tops final practice
George Russell put Mercedes on top in final practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza with a lap of 1:22.219, and Lewis Hamilton backed him up in second to give the team a 1-2 finish. Max Verstappen took third, while Kimi Antonelli placed fourth despite an engine-related penalty that will send him to the back of the grid. Lando Norris finished fifth, Charles Leclerc was sixth, Arvid Lindblad seventh and Oscar Piastri eighth. The result gave Mercedes the strongest finish of the three practice sessions, with Russell again setting the standard after also leading the field on Friday in second practice. The pace at the front stayed tight, and Mercedes left final practice with Russell and Hamilton at the top of the order. Russell’s fastest lap of the session, 1:22.219, came after he had already shown similar speed in second practice with a 1:22.559. Verstappen was third, while the rest of the top eight followed behind him in the final session before qualifying.
Mercedes shows pace in FP2
Mercedes also made a clear statement in Friday’s second practice, where Russell again led the way with a 1:22.559 and Antonelli added another strong run by placing third. That gave Mercedes two cars in the top three and reinforced the team’s pace across a second consecutive session. Charles Leclerc split the pair in second for Ferrari, while Norris finished fourth, Hamilton fifth and Piastri sixth. The order showed how tightly packed the front group was, with several of the leading drivers circling the top of the timing sheets through the session. Russell’s FP2 benchmark set up the team’s strong final practice later in the day, and Antonelli’s third place added more evidence that Mercedes had speed across its lineup at Monza. Leclerc’s second-place run kept Ferrari in the conversation after he had already set the pace in first practice. FP2 also offered a look at the leading group, with Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren represented near the top of the timing sheets. The session gave the teams a clearer picture of their single-lap form, and Mercedes emerged from it with one driver on top and another inside the top three.
Ferrari sets the early pace
Ferrari opened the Monza weekend by taking first practice 1-2, with Leclerc leading Hamilton and Russell finishing third. Leclerc set the fastest time of the session with a 1:23.008, giving Ferrari the opening edge in the early running. Hamilton followed in second, while Russell kept Mercedes close in third and Antonelli landed fifth ahead of Norris in sixth. That first session established Ferrari as the early benchmark, even as the later runs shifted the balance toward Mercedes. The shape of the day changed in FP2, where Russell moved to the top and Antonelli joined Leclerc in the top three, before Mercedes sealed the strongest session of the afternoon with Russell and Hamilton filling the top two spots. Across the three sessions, the front-runners rotated through the leading positions, with several familiar names appearing near the top of the timesheet. Leclerc, Hamilton, Russell, Antonelli, Norris, Verstappen and Piastri all appeared among the leading finishers, which kept the competitive picture tight. Ferrari’s strong start and Mercedes’ response gave Monza a clear pattern through practice, with each session adding another layer to the fight at the top of the timesheet.
