George Russell leads eventful Monza FP2 ahead of Leclerc and Antonelli

Russell sets the pace as Ferrari responds

George Russell topped a lively second practice session at Monza ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc second and home favourite Kimi Antonelli completing the top three. The result offered Mercedes the clearest headline of the afternoon, while Ferrari remained firmly in contention in front of the Tifosi.

Antonelli established the first benchmark of the session with a 1:23.417 as the second hour of running began. He initially remained ahead of Russell, while Arvid Lindblad moved into the top three with an encouraging display of pace. The session’s wider context is covered in our 2026 Italian Grand Prix preview.

Cadillac’s difficult afternoon continued, with Sergio Pérez remaining in the pits after Colton Herta had stopped on track during FP1. Lando Norris also endured a tense moment when Lance Stroll cut across him on the straight, forcing the McLaren driver onto the grass to avoid contact.

At the halfway mark, Russell moved ahead with a 1:22.686 on the soft tyres. Lindblad briefly held third before Yuki Tsunoda, standing in for the weekend, edged ahead with a 1:23.455. Ferrari then increased the pressure: Leclerc went fastest, Lewis Hamilton moved into fourth and Norris soon displaced him. Russell responded with another strong lap to reclaim the top spot.

Red Bull struggles as incidents interrupt the session

With 20 minutes remaining, Russell led Leclerc, Antonelli, Norris, Hamilton, Oscar Piastri, Lindblad, Max Verstappen, Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto. Red Bull, however, struggled to match the leading pace. Verstappen repeatedly complained about the car’s balance and later described it as more “jumpy” than earlier, while Liam Lawson remained stuck in 11th and could not improve.

Leclerc then lost the rear and spun with 10 minutes remaining, briefly alarming the packed grandstands before recovering. Colapinto later ran into the gravel but avoided the barriers. Gabriel Bortoleto’s session ended early when an engine issue stopped his Audi.

Neither the late incidents nor the final running changed the order. Russell finished fastest, followed by Leclerc, Antonelli, Norris and Hamilton in the top five, leaving Mercedes ahead but Ferrari close enough to keep Monza’s competitive picture open.