Listening: Hamilton's Current State
The final European classic of the Formula 1 season is upon us, as the championship heads to Monza, Italy from 5th to 7th September. With the race marking the 75th appearance of Formula 1 at Monza, the excitement is palpable.
In the first practice session, Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time with a record of 1 minute 20.117 seconds, but due to a penalty from the Netherlands GP, the reigning world champion will start five places back on Sunday. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, finished fourth in the Red Bull.
Charles Leclerc, who is under pressure to perform in this race, finished second in FP1, losing only 0.169 seconds to Hamilton. Ferrari seems to have equipped both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, a former Ferrari driver who secured third place in the first practice session, with an extremely low rear wing for the race.
Nico Hülkenberg made a promising start in Monza, finishing twelfth in the Sauber, while Paul Aron, the Estonian in Alpine service, had a less impressive debut, spinning after 20 minutes in the Roggia chicane. Aron will get the chance to replace Franco Colapinto during the race week, as Alpine decided to run Aron in the first free practice instead of Colapinto.
Isack Hadjar, the Toro Rosso rookie, finished tenth in Monza, but his spin in the first part of the Ascari chicane caused a red flag and a ten-minute pause. During the red flag period, Charles Leclerc had a close call, but no penalty was imposed.
Lando Norris was sixth in the fastest McLaren, while Alexander Albon was seventh in the second Williams car. George Russell, driving a Mercedes, had technical trouble and stopped in the Curva Grande. This incident may indicate a gearbox defect. Fernando Alonso reached ninth place in the Aston Martin.
Alexander Dunne, McLaren junior, reached 16th place in FP1. The race promises to be an exciting one, with all eyes on Leclerc and Hamilton as they look to bounce back from their recent struggles. Stay tuned for updates as the action unfolds in Monza.
