George Russell lit up Monza on Friday, planting Mercedes at the top of the timesheets as Formula 1’s Temple of Speed wound itself up for a scorching Italian Grand Prix weekend.
The Briton’s best lap in FP2 – 0.120s clear of Charles Leclerc – underlined Mercedes’ intent at a circuit Ferrari treats as holy ground. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader and local headline act in a silver car, slotted into third as the two giants traded blows through the afternoon.
Lando Norris, winner of the last two races and the man in form, kept McLaren firmly in the conversation in fourth, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri. The usual Monza script – Red Bull out front and everyone else chasing – did not materialise. Max Verstappen ended the day only ninth, still wrestling with the balance of his car as the laps ticked by.
Antonelli’s story carries a sting. Whatever he does in qualifying, the Italian will launch from the back after an engine change. His one-lap pace still matters for pride and data, but the real intrigue lies in how far he can climb through the field on Sunday.
Saturday at Monza will decide the grid, and this is a circuit where the details bite hard. Straightline speed, braking stability into the Rettifilo and della Roggia chicanes, and the art of catching – or avoiding – a slipstream can swing qualifying in an instant. Get the tow right and you’re a hero. Misjudge it and you’re buried in the pack.
How to watch the Italian GP
Fans in the United Kingdom will find every second of action live on Sky Sports, with all sessions also available via Sky Go and NOW. Free-to-air highlights remain on Channel 4.
In the United States, Apple TV carries full live coverage of the 2026 season, including every session from Monza. F1 TV continues as the championship’s dedicated global streaming service.
Key times for Saturday
Local time in Monza:
- Saturday, September 5 — Free Practice 3: 12:30pm CEST
- Saturday, September 5 — Qualifying: 4:00pm CEST
For UK viewers:
- FP3: 11:30am BST
- Qualifying: 3:00pm BST
For US Eastern Time:
- FP3: 6:30am ET
- Qualifying: 10:00am ET
The full weekend at Monza runs as follows (local time):
- Friday, September 4 — Free Practice 1: 12:30pm CEST
- Friday, September 4 — Free Practice 2: 4:00pm CEST
- Saturday, September 5 — Free Practice 3: 12:30pm CEST
- Saturday, September 5 — Qualifying: 4:00pm CEST
- Sunday, September 6 — 2026 Italian Grand Prix: 3:00pm CEST
Heat, tyres and the Monza gamble
The weather has joined the attack. Saturday is set to be brutally hot, with temperatures climbing into the mid-30s Celsius and sunshine baking the asphalt.
That should mean another dry day for FP3 and qualifying, but it turns the weekend into a test of tyre preparation and cooling as much as outright speed. Brakes will take a pounding into Monza’s heavy stops, while teams juggle energy deployment along the endless straights. The drivers who can keep tyre temperatures in the sweet spot without cooking their rubber will hold a decisive edge when it matters.
Sunday’s race is expected to stay hot as well, with only the hint of a passing shower. Teams cannot ignore it. Strategy calls may hinge on how brave they feel with tyre choice and stint length if the weather starts to twitch.
The Temple of Speed, stripped back
Circuit: Monza
Location: Monza, Italy
Event: Italian Grand Prix
Circuit type: Permanent road course
Friday: Free Practice 1, Free Practice 2
Saturday: Free Practice 3, Qualifying
Race: Sunday, September 6
Monza remains pure, old-school Formula 1. Long straights. Violent braking zones. Skinny wings. Cars trimmed to slice the air, drivers trusting the rear end as they attack the chicanes and sweep through the Lesmos and Parabolica with barely a lift.
The 2026 grid arrives with a twist in the cast list. Isack Hadjar is sidelined for the weekend, so Liam Lawson steps in at Red Bull, while Yuki Tsunoda moves across to Racing Bulls. It adds another layer of intrigue to a field already packed with storylines: Hamilton in Ferrari red, Norris leading McLaren’s charge, Verstappen searching for answers, Antonelli fighting from the back in front of his home crowd.
Russell has thrown down the first serious marker. Leclerc and Ferrari have the tifosi at their backs. Norris lurks, hunting a third straight win. Verstappen has work to do.
Monza will not wait for anyone.
