Russell tops Leclerc in Friday practice at Monza

On Friday, Mercedes’ George Russell topped the second practice for the Italian Grand Prix edging out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

The 28-year-old was 0.120 seconds quicker than Leclerc with Mercedes’ Kimi Antolli who initiated the race from the back of the grid due to a power unit penalty behind the Ferrari.

Ferrari have launched an enhanced Antonelli’s penalty caused by using several engine components this season following dependability issues earlier in the year.

Notably, Russell will serve a penalty most likely the Azerbaijan Grand Prix later this month. Mercedes specifically selected this race because they secured a strong result and will give him a chance of recovering from a grid penalty and securing a best result.

The race runs remained inconclusive as Mercedes used hard compound tyres, Ferrari softs and Verstappen used mediums.

Antonelli was 0.2secs faster than Russell on average. F1 has declared its plans to stage a three-day fan experience before next season in Milan on 19-20 February.

In addition, an F1 Live event was held at London’s O2 Arena in 2025, featuring all 11 teams and their drivers with live music and entertainment.