Setting the Stage at Monza
Formula 1 returned to the Temple of Speed for the 2025 Italian Grand Prix at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. The 5.793km circuit remains one of the fastest on the calendar, with Ferrari aiming to deliver for the tifosi across 53 laps and a total 306.720km race distance. Lewis Hamilton still holds the lap record at 1:18.887 from 2020, while last year saw Lando Norris take pole before Charles Leclerc claimed victory on home soil.
FP1 Classification and Key Notes
The session ended with Lewis Hamilton on top at 1:20.117, a time that perfectly matched his FP3 effort from Monza 2024 to the thousandth. Behind him, Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc secured second, while Carlos Sainz placed third. Max Verstappen, Kimi Antonelli, Lando Norris, Alexander Albon, George Russell, Fernando Alonso, and Isack Hadjar rounded out the top ten.
Hamilton’s pace immediately stood out not only for the raw time but also for its consistency across seasons. It highlighted his ability to extract performance in practice, even if questions remain about whether he can convert that speed into a top qualifying position given his recent struggles in Q3. The irony, of course, is that this could end up being his strongest Saturday of the year, just when he faces a grid penalty that will send him backward no matter what.
Ferrari’s Home-Soil Surge
Ferrari’s early form provided Monza with the atmosphere it craves, with Hamilton and Leclerc delivering a 1–2 in front of the tifosi. Yet while the headline offered hope, the reality is more tempered. Ferrari often shines early only to slip back when it matters most, and recent history has conditioned expectations toward a P5/P6 outcome rather than a sustained podium threat. The optimism has already been inflated beyond reason, moving from “this is our year” to “this is our weekend,” to even “this is our session.” Still, for Leclerc this race is personal, Monza and Monaco are the two weekends he openly admits matter most.
Hamilton vs. Leclerc in Qualifying
Hamilton’s performance relative to Leclerc continues to be one of the season’s more fascinating storylines. Over the course of weekends, Hamilton often looks quicker up until Q3, where his execution tends to falter. Leclerc, by contrast, builds through each stage and has established himself as a final-run specialist, a trait reminiscent of Sebastian Vettel in his prime.
The difference seems to come from Hamilton’s adaptation curve with the Ferrari, especially in how it responds to brake compounds, engine modes, and differential settings. At 40, he is also less able to consistently push the car on the edge during those decisive Q3 laps. Hamilton often slips into old habits of braking too deep, which costs him time in these current cars that punish aggressive corner entries. His engineer’s frequent reminders to brake earlier underline the adjustment.
Still, the fact Hamilton is consistently within range of Leclerc, one of the grid’s strongest qualifiers, reinforces just how extraordinary Hamilton’s peak truly was. His 2012 campaign remains a benchmark season, widely regarded as one of the best individual efforts in modern F1, and the comparison underscores both his legacy and the challenges of sustaining that level deep into his career.
Hadjar’s Off and Rookie Challenges
Isack Hadjar endured a rough session with an off that damaged the floor of his Racing Bulls car. While costly for his mechanics, such incidents don’t necessarily ruin a weekend, as Lance Stroll has shown in the past, it’s possible to crash in practice, crash in qualifying, and still deliver a strong race if conditions and strategy align. Still, it added to the midfield chaos and underscored the fine margins for rookies at Monza.
Alpine Anchored at the Back
Alpine’s weekend already looks bleak. The engine deficit leaves them soldered to the back of the grid, with little chance of competing on Monza’s long straights. The situation has drawn comparisons to their strong straight-line performance in 2022, a stark reminder of how far they have fallen. Without significant shenanigans, they are expected to be backmarkers all weekend. Strategy creativity from the pit wall may be their only way forward, but even that feels like damage limitation.
At this point, Alpine’s most practical approach may be simply to cruise to the finish and avoid unnecessary crashes. Gasly’s move to Mercedes next year already looms large, and his current desperation for a better power unit is clear. With hopes dim, it feels more appealing to focus on the positives of Italian food in Milan than Alpine’s chances in FP2.
Upgrade Watch
The FIA’s technical report confirmed that all teams except Sauber and Alpine brought updates to Monza. McLaren’s package included a front suspension change alongside new wings, Ferrari introduced front and rear wing tweaks, Red Bull focused on floor work, and Mercedes added revised fences and aero pieces. Williams, Aston Martin, Haas, and Racing Bulls also brought smaller but targeted updates. Alpine’s lack of upgrades has become both a running joke and a genuine competitive concern, underlining just how far off the development pace they have fallen.
Takeaway
FP1 at Monza gave us a session packed with storylines. Ferrari delighted the tifosi with a 1-2, Hamilton looked imperious despite his looming penalty, and the ongoing duel between Hamilton’s experience and Leclerc’s qualifying sharpness dominated discussion. Hadjar’s rookie mistake and Alpine’s inevitable struggles all added layers to the weekend narrative.
The tifosi may already be dreaming of a Hamilton-Leclerc podium, but reality suggests caution. At Monza, hype often outpaces results. Still, with upgrades in play and so many storylines colliding, the Italian Grand Prix is already delivering a weekend worthy of the Temple of Speed.