The Lewis Hamilton–Ferrari dream finally showed a glimpse of life on Friday at Monza. The seven-time world champion lit up the Italian Grand Prix weekend by topping Free Practice 1, giving the Tifosi something to cheer after a bruising debut season in red.
Hamilton clocked a 1:20.117s to go quickest, with teammate Charles Leclerc slotting in 0.169s behind to complete a Ferrari one-two at their home race. For Hamilton, it was only the second time all year he has finished a practice session on top since his high-profile move from Mercedes — but at Monza, the symbolism hit harder.
Ferrari Finally Shows Its Teeth
Hamilton, who crashed out of last weekend’s Dutch GP, bounced back in style at the Temple of Speed. After a scrappy first half of the session where Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz briefly led the way, Hamilton unleashed a late flyer to edge Leclerc and put Ferrari at the top of the pile.
Behind the scarlet cars, Sainz — now at Williams — impressed in third, but was over half a second off Hamilton’s pace.
Norris Struggles, Verstappen Slides
It was a day of frustration for Lando Norris, who twice dumped his McLaren into the gravel at Lesmo 1 and Lesmo 2, ruining both soft-tyre attempts and leaving him a distant sixth, nearly a full second off the lead.
Even Verstappen, usually unshakable, complained of “no grip, sliding all over the place” as Red Bull fought balance issues on their first Monza runs.
Red Flag Drama
The session was halted after 35 minutes when excessive gravel was scattered across the Ascari chicane, forcing a clean-up. That stoppage set up a dramatic late sprint, with Leclerc briefly sending the Monza grandstands wild by jumping four-tenths clear of Verstappen — only for Hamilton to deliver a knockout punch minutes later.
FP1 Top 3 – Italian Grand Prix
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:20.117
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:20.286
- Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 1:20.650
The Takeaway
For Ferrari, this is only a practice session — and questions remain about whether the Scuderia cranked up the engines for show. But the optics matter: Hamilton, Leclerc, and Ferrari 1-2 at Monza is exactly the story fans wanted to see.
The Temple of Speed has been the site of so many iconic Ferrari moments. Now, after months of pain, the Tifosi dare to dream that Hamilton could deliver another.
