Second Monza practice session: Charles Leclerc spins, Verstappen struggles

Just like the first free practice session, the second session on practice Friday took place in sweltering conditions, with outside temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius and track temperatures exceeding 50 degrees. The high-speed circuit filled up quickly, and it took less than ten minutes for Max Verstappen to complain over the radio about a lack of downforce. The four-time champion then headed for the pits to pick up a new front wing.

It took just over ten minutes for Sergio Pérez to appear on the track. The Mexican driver from the Cadillac team had spent the first practice session as a spectator because Colton Herta was allowed to put his foot down in his team car. The 26-year-old American had previously suffered a heavy crash in the Formula 2 free practice session, which had caused red flags to be waved. The former IndyCar driver finished his Formula 1 outing in last place.

Verstappen was still unhappy even after the nose cone was changed. Over the radio, the 71-time Grand Prix winner reported: “The car has no grip in the slow sections; in turns 1, 2, 4 and 5 it feels as though I’m driving on ice. And the brakes aren’t working either.”

Lance Stroll and Gabi Bortoleto cause trouble

Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris had a moment of panic after just under a quarter of an hour. The McLaren star, who had won the last two Grands Prix, had to use the emergency exit because Lance Stroll was in his way. “What on earth is that bloke doing? That was dangerous!”

He wasn’t the only one who was annoyed. Shortly afterwards, championship leader Kimi Antonelli was furious with Audi driver Gabriel Bortoleto, who was blocking his path at the Parabolica. “What an idiot, what an absolute idiot,” he radioed. That didn’t stop him, however, from taking the top spot shortly afterwards with a time of 1:22.700. His joy didn’t last long, though, as first his team-mate George Russell beat his time, then Ferrari star Charles Leclerc briefly took the top spot on the timesheet, before Russell followed up with a time of 1:22.559 mins.

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Shortly after the halfway mark, rookie Arvid Lindblad raised a few eyebrows. The Racing Bulls driver managed to secure third place behind the Mercedes duo of Russell and Antonelli, and he did so on medium-hard tyres. Leclerc, Franco Colapinto, Liam Lawson (in the RB22 of the injured Isack Hadjar), Verstappen, Bortoleto, Norris and Lewis Hamilton rounded off the top 10.

Charles Leclerc spins

The flying lap session on the soft tyres, marked in red, did not produce a new fastest time. Russell remained at the top, with Leclerc, Antonelli, Norris, Hamilton, Oscar Piastri, Lindblad, Verstappen, Yuki Tsunoda (driving Lawson’s Racing Bulls car) and Colapinto taking the top 10 places, before Oliver Bearman moved up to eighth. Behind Colapinto, Lawson, Nico Hülkenberg, Pierre Gasly, Bortoleto, Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz, Esteban Ocon, Fernando Alonso, Pérez, Valtteri Bottas and Stroll rounded off the timesheet.

Leclerc caused a bit of a stir in the final 10 minutes when he spun at the fifth corner. Bortoleto, meanwhile, had quite different concerns as he pulled his GP car into the pits on instructions from the Audi pit wall. The reason: although the Brazilian was out on the track with a new power unit, the team detected misfires.

Things didn’t get any easier for Verstappen at the wheel of the RB22 either. The 28-year-old reported: “The car is bouncing much more now.” Meanwhile, Colapinto skidded through the gravel trap at Turn 10, but managed to stay clear of the track barriers. Local hero Kimi Antonelli, on the other hand, was battling with understeer, as he reported over the radio. Nothing changed at the top of the timesheets, so Russell was able to celebrate setting the fastest time in FP2. Leclerc, who had been the fastest in the first practice session, had to settle for second place.