Italian Grand Prix FP1: Engines Roar to Life at Monza

Monza’s engines are about to wake up.

The Italian Grand Prix weekend roars into life with FP1 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, the sport’s cathedral of speed and a circuit that punishes hesitation as brutally as it rewards bravery.

This opening session will not just be a systems check for the front-runners. Several teams are set to roll the dice on youth, using one of their mandatory rookie allocations to hand a full practice run to their next generation of talent. One hour. One of the fastest tracks on the calendar. No hiding place.

The green light for FP1 comes at 12:30 local time (11:30 in the UK), with 60 minutes on the clock for teams to balance their Monza-specific low-downforce setups, race simulations, and qualifying runs, all while integrating fresh faces into a finely tuned race weekend routine.

Rookies will be thrown straight into the deep end on a circuit defined by its long straights, savage braking zones into the Rettifilo and Variante della Roggia, and the unforgiving rhythm of the Lesmos and Ascari. For them, it is not just about lap time; it is about proving they can handle the pressure of a full F1 session at one of the sport’s most iconic venues.

For the established stars, FP1 sets the tone. Get it wrong here, and the whole weekend feels like a chase. Nail it, and the rest of the paddock spends the next two days trying to catch up.

The Tifosi will bring the colour and the noise. The stopwatch will do the judging. Monza is open for business.