The Italian team, which celebrates its 75th anniversary at home with a change of decoration on its car and the incorporation of yellow, could not have started better in front of the tifosi, although Sainz had an exit from the track in the last moments.
The first free practices of the weekend were preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of Queen Elizabeth II in the pit lane of the Monza circuit.
The Dutchman Nyck de Vries, Formula E champion in the 2020/21 season, drove the Aston Martín of the German Sebastian Vettel in what was his third test this year, all with different cars, after the ones he had in Spain with Williams and in France with Mercedes. He felt like it and started leading the table, although for a short time.
It wasn’t the only seat change in free practice, as Italian Antonio Giovinazzi tested Mick Schumacher’s Haas.
Drivers used the first part of the session to set up their cars and the second to test performance over one lap and in the race.
Of the 5,790 meters, most (4,500) are straight and there he had some problems, at the beginning, the Mexican Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez with the DRS, although he set a first reference time: 1:25.026, which he led for a few moments (finished fourteenth).
Leclerc suffered oversteer at the entrance of the curve and the Spanish Fernando Alonso provisionally set the fastest time (1:24.635), which Verstappen polished (1:22.853).
With Leclerc in front (1:22.410), the Dutchman and the British Lando Norris (McLaren) had their run on the track, where the World Championship leader was slowed down when he was trying his fastest lap and cried out on the radio for the maneuver with a “ incredible”.
The current champion had to settle for fifth place (1:22.840) and between the Ferraris and him were the Mercedes of the British George Russell. (1:22:689) and Lewis Hamilton (1:22,831).
The Spanish Fernando Alonso was seventh, just behind his teammate, the Frenchman Esteban Ocon.
On-track activity will resume at 5:00 p.m. (CEST) with the second free practice sessions.
The entrance Ferrari starts with double in free practice at Monza weekend was first published in diary TODAY.
