Hamilton Sets the Pace at Monza Amidst Tight Field and Red Flag Interruptions

Lewis Hamilton surged to the top of the timesheets during a hotly contested second practice session ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. The session proved incredibly competitive, with the top five drivers separated by a razor-thin margin of just 0.15 seconds. The on-track action at the “Temple of Speed” was intense but briefly halted following a significant incident involving Kevin Magnussen.

The session kicked off at 5:00 PM local time with a flurry of activity, though not everyone made it out immediately. George Russell was sidelined early on, forced to wait in the garage while the Mercedes crew conducted repairs following Kimi Antonelli’s crash in the same car during FP1. While the majority of the grid opted for medium compound tires to start their programs, Daniel Ricciardo broke the mold by bolting on softs. During these initial runs, Charles Leclerc thrilled the home crowd, clocking a 1m 21.119s to lead his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz by 0.145s—a welcome sight for the cheering Tifosi.

Qualifying Simulations and Red Flags

As the session progressed, teams shifted their focus to qualifying simulations. Russell finally joined the fray, as did Sergio Perez, whose Red Bull required a precautionary gearbox change between sessions. Lando Norris briefly seized the top spot, but Hamilton quickly eclipsed him. The seven-time world champion managed to find an extra three-thousandths of a second to post a 1m 20.738s, snatching P1 despite complaining over the radio about high cockpit temperatures.

Just as the session reached its halfway mark, the red flags were deployed. Kevin Magnussen lost control at the second Lesmo corner, sending his Haas into the barriers. It compounded a rough day for the Dane, coming on the heels of a team fine for an impeding incident earlier in FP1. Fortunately, Magnussen emerged unhurt, but the crash necessitated a 12-minute pause for recovery and barrier repairs. When the green light eventually signaled the restart, a long queue of cars immediately formed in the pit lane, eager to resume their programs.

Traffic Troubles and Final Standings

The interruption forced some drivers out of sync, notably Perez, who struggled to find a clean gap in traffic for his flying lap. As the clock wound down and teams pivoted to heavy-fuel long runs, Hamilton’s benchmark time remained unbeaten. He finished just ahead of Norris in P2 and Sainz in P3, with Oscar Piastri putting the second McLaren in fourth. Leclerc rounded out the top five, trailing Hamilton’s pace by only 0.154s.

Russell managed to slot into sixth after completing a late qualifying simulation, while Nico Hulkenberg provided a bright spot for Haas, securing the seventh-fastest time. He finished ahead of Ricciardo in eighth, with the Aston Martin pair of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll completing the top ten. Further down the order, Valtteri Bottas continued a solid day for Kick Sauber in 11th. Max Verstappen had a surprisingly quiet session, ending up 14th for Red Bull, just ahead of his teammate Perez.

Looking to the Future: Hamilton Embraces 2026 Regulations
While the focus remains on the current competitive landscape, Hamilton has offered a ringing endorsement of the sport’s future. Following his first taste of the 2026-spec machinery during a session in Barcelona, Hamilton described the new generation of cars as significantly “more enjoyable” than the ground-effect vehicles of the current era.

The shift in sentiment comes after Hamilton navigated a challenging debut season with Ferrari under the final year of the ground-effect regulations in 2025. However, his initial feedback on the SF-26 suggests a positive step forward, noting much sharper handling compared to the previous year’s challenger. The 2026 overhaul brings sweeping changes to both chassis and engine rules, moving the sport away from the specific aerodynamic formula that defined the mid-2020s.

Reflecting on the previous era, Hamilton admitted he was unable to contend for a record eighth World Championship and faced a disappointing initial campaign with the Scuderia in 2025. However, the page seems to have turned following the unofficial five-day test in Barcelona, which ran from January 26-30. While official lap times were kept under wraps, reports from the paddock indicated Hamilton set the benchmark pace with a 1:16.348.

A Return to “Fun” Driving

Hamilton was enthusiastic about the feel of the Ferrari SF-26. Speaking immediately after the test, he highlighted the distinct difference in driving dynamics caused by the reduction in downforce.

“In terms of just understanding the car and the balance, we have a lot less downforce than previous years,” Hamilton explained. “The car generation is actually a little bit more fun to drive. It’s oversteery and snappy and sliding, but it’s a little bit easier to catch. Yeah, I would definitely say more enjoyable.”

Looking ahead, Hamilton outlined a packed schedule following the Barcelona test. “Quite busy,” he confirmed regarding his upcoming itinerary. “We still have a lot of promotional days that we have next week, so next week’s really mostly a promotional period.”

The focus for the team now shifts to data analysis. “Obviously, the team will be digesting everything that’s happened this week and taking all our notes from Charles [Leclerc] and I, and trying to rework, remap and reconfigure things for the Bahrain test, setting up a plan,” he added.

Hamilton also noted the demanding media commitments on the horizon. “We will have meetings in between our long shoot days. So we have big shoot days next week. Charles and I, we do them all together, but I think they’re like, eight or 10-hour shoot days. So not crazy, but still.”

He closed with a lighthearted jab at his teammate’s morning routine. “In between them, there’s training in the morning. Though, Charles doesn’t like to get up early, so I don’t think he’ll be training! And then the shoots. Then we have the meeting with the engineers in between. So it’s full days, so it should be fun.”