Charles Leclerc topped the first session of the weekend and led a Ferrari one-two during FP1 at the 2026 F1 Italian GP, full report below.
Ahead of the weekend, several stories have already shaken things up, most notably with home hero Kimi Antonelli set to serve an engine grid penalty that will see him start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid. The 20 year-old arrives at Monza with a significant lead in the Drivers’ Standings, holding a 59-point advantage over teammate George Russell.
However, in FP1, several drivers will sit out the session to fulfil the mandatory rookie FP1 requirements, with Ayumu Iwasa, Luke Browning, Paul Aron and Colton Herta stepping in for the session.
With some teams bringing upgrades this weekend, teams will use the first of three practice sessions to acclimatise to the Temple of Speed as F1 returns to the regular race weekend format following a Sprint weekend in Zandvoort.
Green light for FP1 at the 2026 F1 Italian GP!
As the session got underway, most drivers lined up at the end of the pit lane, ready to head out on track. During the opening stages of the session, Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin and Aron’s Alpine headed out on track fitted with aero rakes as teams worked to gather data.
However, times continued to quickly drop, Russell sat at the top of the timings with a 1:25.259, as Oscar Piastri trailed the Briton by 0.074s. Leclerc then moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1:24.482.
Most drivers and teams opted to run a set of hard tyres during the opening stages of FP1, while Russell quickly reported high grip levels out on track. Drivers continued to acclimatise to the track as Leclerc pushed the limits, running wide at the Roggia chicane.
Herta’s Cadillac triggers VSC and red flag
Twenty minutes into the session, Herta stopped between the two Lesmos, initially triggering a VSC before race control brought out the red flag. As it stood, Lando Norris, Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Leclerc and Franco Colapinto rounded out the top five.
As the session resumed, most of the field headed back out on track. Both Mercedes drivers set a fast lap on a set of soft tyres, with Antonelli crossing the line to catapult to the top of the timings with a 1:23.644. Behind him, Russell quickly responded, going three tenths faster than his teammate with a 1:23.312 to move to the top.
However, Leclerc lit up the timings on the medium tyres, displacing the Mercedes pair as he stormed to the top with a 1:23.008. With most drivers on medium and soft tyres in the closing stages of the session, lap times continued to tumble.
Final runs of FP1
Browning was among several drivers who ran across the Rettifilo chicane. With fifteen minutes left on the clock, Leclerc led Russell and Hamilton at the top of the timesheets. Stepping in for Isack Hadjar for a second weekend, Liam Lawson broke into the top three with a 1:23.433. However, improving on his next lap, Hamilton slotted into P2 as he crossed the line with a 1:23.181.
The next drivers to fall victim to the Rettifilo chicane were Ollie Bearman and Carlos Sainz. As the session came to an end, Leclerc led a Ferrari one-two in the first practice session of the weekend, kicking off their home race on a strong note.
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