George Russell Sets Benchmark at Monza Ahead of Italian Grand Prix

George Russell lit up Monza on Friday, laying down the benchmark time as Formula 1’s Temple of Speed began to bare its teeth ahead of a scorching Italian Grand Prix weekend.

The Mercedes driver topped second practice with a 0.120s cushion over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, a statement lap that cut through the late-afternoon heat and silenced, for a moment at least, the red grandstands willing a Ferrari to the front. Championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli slotted into third, keeping Mercedes locked into a duel with Ferrari at the sharp end.

Lando Norris, fresh from winning the last two grands prix, ended the session fourth for McLaren, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri. The usual rhythm of a Monza Friday emerged: low downforce, high speed, and a grid shuffling itself into position for a qualifying shootout where thousandths often decide everything.

Antonelli, though, faces a very different kind of Saturday. An engine change means the Mercedes prodigy is destined to start from the back on Sunday, no matter how high he qualifies. His task in qualifying becomes more strategic than spectacular: gather data, disturb a few big names, and sharpen the car for a charge through the field.

At the other end of the story sits Max Verstappen, only ninth after wrestling with the balance of his Red Bull. On a circuit that exposes any weakness in straightline efficiency and braking stability, the three-time world champion spent FP2 chasing a car that refused to sit comfortably beneath him.

Saturday at Monza will not be gentle. Final practice and qualifying arrive at a track where the stopwatch is brutal and the margins are razor-thin. Straightline speed, confidence under braking into the Rettifilo and Roggia chicanes, and the art of catching the perfect slipstream on a qualifying lap will decide who owns the front row.

How to watch the Italian Grand Prix

For fans in the United Kingdom, Sky Sports remains the home of Formula 1 in 2026, broadcasting every session live across the weekend, with streaming options via Sky Go and NOW. Free-to-air highlights stay on Channel 4.

In the United States, Apple TV carries full live coverage of all sessions under its multi-year deal, while F1 TV continues as the championship’s global subscription service.

Saturday schedule at Monza

Local time (CEST), Monza:

Saturday, September 5 — Free Practice 3: 12:30pm
Saturday, September 5 — Qualifying: 4:00pm

For UK viewers (BST):

Saturday, September 5 — Free Practice 3: 11:30am
Saturday, September 5 — Qualifying: 3:00pm

For US Eastern Time (ET):

Saturday, September 5 — Free Practice 3: 6:30am
Saturday, September 5 — Qualifying: 10:00am

Full Italian GP weekend timetable (local to Monza)

Friday, September 4 — Free Practice 1: 12:30pm
Friday, September 4 — Free Practice 2: 4:00pm
Saturday, September 5 — Free Practice 3: 12:30pm
Saturday, September 5 — Qualifying: 4:00pm
Sunday, September 6 — 2026 Italian Grand Prix: 3:00pm

Heat, tyres and a punishing Temple of Speed

The weather is set to turn the weekend into an endurance test as much as a sprint. Saturday is forecast to be very hot, with sunshine and temperatures climbing into the mid-30s Celsius. Teams can at least expect dry conditions for FP3 and qualifying, but the heat will bite hard.

Tyre preparation will be crucial. Get the rubber too hot too soon and the lap is gone before the Ascari chicane. Keep it too cool and there’s no grip into the first chicane’s brutal braking zone. Cooling and brake management will sit at the heart of every run plan as teams try to keep power units and systems alive on Monza’s long full-throttle sections.

Energy management will not just be a buzzword in the briefings. Deploying hybrid power at exactly the right moment on the straights, timing DRS runs, and managing battery life over a qualifying lap could decide who reaches Q3 and who falls away.

Sunday looks no easier. The forecast keeps the heat, with the added twist of a possible passing shower. Teams will have one eye on the skies even as they commit to low-drag setups that leave little margin if the grip level suddenly changes.

Monza: where small errors cost big

Circuit: Monza

Location: Monza, Italy

Event: Italian Grand Prix

Circuit type: Permanent road course

Friday brings the two practice sessions, Saturday delivers FP3 and qualifying, and the race unfolds on Sunday, but the character of the place never changes. Monza is still Formula 1’s Temple of Speed: long straights, savage braking zones, and minimal downforce. Efficiency, power and absolute trust in the car under braking define who thrives here.

The 2026 grid arrives with a twist in the driver roster. Isack Hadjar is sidelined for the Italian GP through injury, with Liam Lawson stepping into the Red Bull seat. Yuki Tsunoda moves across to Racing Bulls, reshaping the Red Bull camp for one of the most demanding weekends of the year.

Around them, a paddock full of storylines: Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari red attacking his adopted home race; Norris and Piastri turning McLaren’s recent form into a sustained title push; Audi, Cadillac and Haas hunting relevance in the midfield; Antonelli trying to salvage a weekend that starts with a back-row sentence.

The photographs from Friday tell their own story. Hamilton threading the Ferrari through the Lesmos. Russell calm and composed after topping the times. Lawson thrown back into the fire. Norris and Piastri leaning on the kerbs. Verstappen searching for a balance that still hasn’t fully arrived.

Now comes the real test. One lap. Low fuel. Maximum risk. On a day this hot, at a track this fast, who dares to leave nothing on the table?