The 2025 Italian Grand Prix weekend got underway, and Ferrari wasted no time igniting the passion of the Tifosi with a commanding start to Free Practice 1. Lewis Hamilton set the pace, clocking a 1m 20.117s in the final minutes on soft tyres to lead a Ferrari 1-2 ahead of team mate Charles Leclerc. The Briton’s effort—despite the looming five-place grid penalty he carries from Zandvoort—was enough to send the grandstands into early celebration as Ferrari stamped their authority on home soil. Hamilton finished the one-hour session 0.169s clear of Leclerc, while Carlos Sainz impressed for Williams in third, ahead of Max Verstappen and Mercedes protégé Kimi Antonelli.
What To Know
- Hamilton fastest in FP1 with 1:20.117s, ahead of Leclerc
- Red flag caused by Hadjar’s off at Ascari
- Rookie outings for Dunne (McLaren) and Aron (Alpine)
The session unfolded under bright skies, with a mix of rookies and veterans bringing extra intrigue to the opening exchanges. Alex Dunne took the wheel of Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, while Paul Aron stepped into Franco Colapinto’s Alpine. Both had already tasted FP1 action earlier this season—Dunne at the Red Bull Ring, Aron at Silverstone and Hungaroring—as per regulations requiring teams to hand two practice outings to drivers with no more than two Grand Prix starts across the 2025 F1 World Championship season. Early drama came at Turn 1, with Lando Norris the first to run wide at the Rettifilo chicane, a sign of determination from a driver desperate to bounce back after his Dutch GP retirement. Leclerc and Nico Hulkenberg also found themselves in the run-off at the same corner, caught out by a tailwind and the still-green Monza surface.
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Norris initially set the pace, dipping under 1m 22s with a 1m 21.513s, before Alex Albon—continuing his strong form—trimmed that benchmark to 1m 21.479s on the hard tyre. Verstappen then raised the tempo with a 1m 21.166s on mediums, later improving to 1m 20.751s as track conditions evolved. Aron spun at the second chicane on the 20-minute mark, rejoining safely, while Dunne became the first to test the soft tyres but could only manage 15th at the halfway stage. Verstappen’s first push on the C5s was underwhelming, reporting “no grip, I just slide a lot,” as others began to find speed.
The session was briefly halted after 25 minutes when Isack Hadjar ran wide at Ascari, scattering gravel across the track and triggering a red flag. The incident also created a headache for Leclerc, who overtook a Kick Sauber just as the red flags were displayed. The matter was noted by the stewards, but no action followed. When running resumed, Leclerc surged to the top with a 1m 20.286s, but Hamilton’s late flyer on the same soft rubber put Ferrari firmly at the head of the timesheets.
Outside the top 10, Gabriel Bortoleto headed Kick Sauber team mate Hulkenberg, with Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda, and Lance Stroll next in line. Dunne placed ahead of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, while Haas rookie Ollie Bearman and Aron completed the times, the Estonian rookie ending two seconds adrift of Hamilton’s benchmark.
2025 Italian GP FP1 Results
2025 Italian Grand Prix FP1, 5 September 2025
| POS. | NO. | DRIVER | TEAM | TIME / GAP | LAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:20.117 | 20 |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.169s | 23 |
| 3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +0.533s | 24 |
| 4 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +0.575s | 22 |
| 5 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.823s | 25 |
| 6 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.904s | 27 |
| 7 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +0.956s | 25 |
| 8 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.993s | 20 |
| 9 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.997s | 19 |
| 10 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +1.041s | 24 |
| 11 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +1.055s | 23 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | +1.062s | 26 |
| 13 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.084s | 27 |
| 14 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | +1.175s | 24 |
| 15 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +1.178s | 25 |
| 16 | 89 | Alexander Dunne | McLaren | +1.489s | 25 |
| 17 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.525s | 22 |
| 18 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.536s | 25 |
| 19 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.941s | 23 |
| 20 | 61 | Paul Aron | Alpine | +2.036s | 22 |
Race Guide
Season: 2025 F1 World Championship
Race weekend: 5 September 2025 – 7 September 2025
Race date: Sunday, 7 September, 2025
Race start time: 15:00 local time
Circuit: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Laps: 53
Circuit length: 5.793km
2024 winner: Charles Leclerc
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