Max fastest in Monza FP1

Published on 30 August 2024 by Stefan Meens

Max Verstappen was quickest during the first practice session of the Italian Grand Prix. The Oracle Red Bull Racing driver lapped the high-speed Autodromo Nazionale di Monza fastest ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

It is set to be a hot weekend in Northern Italy with an ambient temperature of 33 degrees Celsius at the start of FP1. In addition to the heat, the circuit has been resurfaced and kerbstones have been changed to provide a new challenge for both drivers and teams.

For Kimi Antonelli and Franco Colapinto, this weekend will be all the more special with the former making his FP1 debut driving for Mercedes and the latter contesting his first full Grand Prix weekend after replacing Logan Sargeant in the Williams.

At the start of the session, it is busy on track with only the Williams of Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo’s RB still in the pits. A lot of the cars are sporting aero racks on their installation laps to measure the aerodynamic flow. Meanwhile, Max has also taken to the track and asks the team if anyone else is struggling on the brakes into turn one; the Dutchman seemingly missing his braking point twice in the first couple of laps.

Meanwhile, Antonelli’s dream debut quickly turns into a nightmare as the young Italian loses control of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes and parks it in the tyre barriers at Parabolica/Albareto. Antonelli gets out of the car unharmed, but the incident does cause a red flag.

After a ten minute pause, the session resumes and Max goes quickest on his first timed lap, before being usurped by several others. The Dutchman drops to sixth at the halfway point, with Valtteri Bottas surprisingly topping the timing sheets.

It is not until the final ten minutes of the session that the traditional front runners make their way to the top of the leaderboards with Leclerc snatching P1, before Max takes over with the quickest lap of the session. Lando Norris is slightly slower than Leclerc but demotes Bottas to fourth.

Colapinto ends FP1 in 17th, in a largely uneventful session until the young Argentinian too has a moment at Alboreto. Thankfully the rookie is able to slow down the FW46 sufficiently and escapes with a trip through the gravel.

Contest Italian GP: win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing cap!

Results first free practice Italy: