Max Verstappen set the pace in the first practice session for the Italian Grand Prix.
However Mercedes junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashed out on his first appearance in an official Formula 1 session.
Verstappen lapped two tenths of a second quicker than Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris over the opening session of the weekend, while Antonelli threw his car into the barriers at the final corner after just ten minutes in the car.
After Williams took the decision to replace Logan Sargeant, Franco Colapinto prepared for his first practice session as a Formula 1 race driver and only his second time in the Williams after driving in the opening practice at Silverstone. Highly-fancied Mercedes junior Antonelli had his first outing in a grand prix session, stepping into George Russell’s car for the first hour of running.
Mercedes immediately sent both Lewis Hamilton and Antonelli out on soft tyres to begin the session, with Antonelli running Mercedes newer-specification floor and Hamilton the older-spec. Hamilton set the early pace with a 1’23.350 on soft tyres, with Antonelli six tenths slower than him in fourth.
However, entering the final corner at Alboreto (formerly Parabolica) the rookie lost the rear of his car through the mid corner and spun into the barriers, wrecking the car and bringing out an immediate red flag. Antonelli climbed out of his car unharmed after apologising to the team, while team principal Toto Wolff reassured him not to worry about the crash.
After a delay for barrier repairs, the session resumed with 37 minutes remaining on the clock. Valtteri Bottas was a surprise name to move to the top of the timings with a 1’22.127 on softs – already half a second quicker than the best time in opening practice last year – before Charles Leclerc became the first driver under the 1’21s mark with a 1’21.904, while Lando Norris moved second with a time just one-hundredth of a second slower.
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Despite battling with the braking performance of his Red Bull through the early laps of the session, Verstappen found improved confidence in his brakes as practice progressed. He set the fastest time of the session with a 1’21.676 on soft tyres, to put himself on the top of the timing screen at the end of the hour.
Leclerc was second quickest in his Ferrari, two tenths slower than the championship leader, with Norris ahead of Carlos Sainz Jnr in the second Ferrari. Bottas was fifth…
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