FORMULA 1 FP1: FERRARI TOPS THE TIMES, MCLAREN ONLY MIDFIELD, ANTONELLI FASTEST ROOKIE - Motorsportsclicks

The engines roared to life at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza as Formula 1 returned for the first Free Practice session of the 2025 Italian Grand Prix. In warm conditions at the legendary Temple of Speed, teams focused on low-downforce setups and race simulations, with Ferrari looking to impress the home crowd and title contenders quickly finding their rhythm.

The session delivered plenty of excitement as Ferrari thrilled their home crowd with a dominant showing. Under sunny skies and a packed grandstand of passionate Tifosi, Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets in his first official session at Monza as a Ferrari driver, setting a blistering lap of 1:20.117.

The seven-time world champion looked confident and composed, quickly adapting to Ferrari’s low-downforce setup and extracting the maximum from the SF-25. Just 0.169 seconds behind was teammate Charles Leclerc, who has a strong history at Monza and is looking to repeat last year’s victory. The Scuderia’s one-two sent a clear message to their rivals that Ferrari are serious contenders this weekend.

Ferrari’s British driver Lewis Hamilton races during the first practice session ahead of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit, in Monza, northern Italy, on September 5, 2025. (Photo by Philippe Lopez / AFP) (Photo by PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz, now racing for Williams after his Ferrari departure, was one of the session’s standout performers, placing third, just over half a second off Hamilton’s benchmark. Max Verstappen finished in fourth for Red Bull, quietly going about his session without any major incidents, while Kimi Antonelli, the Italian rookie under immense local pressure, delivered a composed performance to finish a strong fifth in the Mercedes.

The session was not without drama. Roughly halfway through, Isack Hadjar lost control at the Ascari Chicane, ending up beached in the gravel and bringing out the red flag. The incident cut short several long-run simulation plans, although the track was cleared relatively quickly.

Lando Norris also had a minor off earlier in the session, running wide at Turn 6, but he recovered well to finish sixth for McLaren.

There was a notable absence as Oscar Piastri, who currently leads the drivers’ championship by 34 points, did not take part in FP1; instead, rookie Alex Dunne was given seat time and finished 16th.

Elsewhere, reserve driver Paul Aron was behind the wheel for Alpine and ended the session in 20th, struggling for grip and pace throughout.

MONZA, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 05: Yuki Tsunoda of Japan driving the (22) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 Esteban Ocon of France driving the (31) Haas F1 VF-25 Ferrari Nico Hulkenberg of Germany driving the (27) Kick Sauber C45 Ferrari and Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (1) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB21 practice their race start procedures during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 05, 2025 in Monza, Italy. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Overall, it was a session full of storylines: Ferrari’s commanding start in front of their home crowd, Sainz making an early statement at Williams, rookies gaining critical experience, and a few off-track excursions adding unpredictability to the weekend.

With McLaren still leading the Constructors’ Championship and Piastri firmly ahead in the drivers’ standings, the pressure is mounting on rivals like Red Bull and Mercedes to close the gap. As teams gather more data ahead of qualifying, all eyes remain on Ferrari to see if they can convert their early pace into pole position and, perhaps, a fairytale home victory on Sunday.

Free Practice two will get underway at 17:00 local time.

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