Russell leads from Leclerc in bumpy Monza FP2

Credit: Formula One

George Russell topped the second practice in Monza ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, followed by Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and home favourite Kimi Antonelli completing the top three in an eventful session.

As it Happened

As the second hour of practice began in Monza, home hero Antonelli set the first benchmark with a 1:23.417.

Meanwhile, Cadillac’s troubles continued as Sergio Pérez remained in the pits following his car being stopped on track in FP1 in the hands of Colton Herta.

As the session continued, Antonelli remained on top followed by teammate Russell, with Arvid Lindblad joining the top three in a strong showing of pace.

Elsewhere, Lando Norris expressed frustration after being cut across by Lance Stroll down the straight, forcing the McLaren driver to take bumpy evading action onto the grass, an incident that has been noted by the FIA and awaits investigation.

Into the halfway point of the session, Russell went ahead of his teammate with a 1:22.686 on the soft tyres. Not too far back, Lindblad remained in third, but his newest teammate stepping in for the weekend, Yuki Tsunoda, soon pipped Lindblad with a 1:23.455.

The two Ferrari drivers then turned the wick up, Leclerc’s latest run taking him to the top spot while Lewis Hamilton took fourth, quickly replaced there by Norris. Russell then went on another push lap that saw him retake the fastest time from Leclerc.

With 20 minutes to go, the quickest drivers were Russell followed by Leclerc, Antonelli, Norris, Hamilton, Oscar Piastri, Lindblad, Max Verstappen, Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto.

The Red Bull drivers in particular were struggling to find pace, with Liam Lawson stuck in 11th and Verstappen complaining about the car’s balance throughout the session once again. Lawson’s efforts bore him no fruits, the driver standing in for an injured Isack Hadjar still unable to improve on his lap time.

As the session ran into the final 10 minutes, most of the grid failed to improve on their previous lap times, having elected to switch to the race runs. In a heart-in-throat moment for the sea of red in the grandstands, Leclerc lost the rear and spun with minutes to go, but swiftly recovered much to the Tifosi’s relief.

With time almost up, Verstappen complained of a jumpier car than earlier in the session, just as Colapinto took a trip to the gravel trap but narrowly managed to avoid the barriers.

Meanwhile, an engine issue put a stopper on Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto’s afternoon.

As the second practice ended, the order remained line astern, with Russell topping the session followed by Leclerc, Antonelli, Norris and Hamilton in the top five.

Looking Ahead

That wraps up the Friday action in Monza, with the grid set to reconvene tomorrow for the final practice session and qualifying later in the afternoon.

Mercedes and Ferrari remain the favourites, with the Silver Arrows having the edge over the Italian team in the latest session. However, never underestimate what Ferrari can achieve on home soil.

Meanwhile, as Red Bull's troubles continue, Racing Bulls in the hands of Lindblad and Tsunoda have been outperforming the senior team. Will their strong showing continue into Saturday? Only time will tell.