First Free Practice Report & Results 2024 Italian F1 Grand Prix
Event: Italian Grand Prix
Track: Monza Circuit
Weather: dry 32.8°C
Tarmac: dry 51.7°C
Humidity : 38%
Wind : 4.3 km/h South
Max Verstappen Dominates Opening Practice at Monza
The 2024 Formula 1 season continues to deliver drama as we head into Round 16 at the legendary Monza circuit in Italy. The opening practice session set the tone for what promises to be an exhilarating weekend, with Max Verstappen asserting his dominance once again. However, the session wasn't without its challenges, particularly for the rookie drivers making their debut at this historic track.
Verstappen Leads the Pack
Max Verstappen topped the timesheets in FP1, clocking a blistering 1m 21.676s. His performance was a clear statement of intent as he seeks to regain his winning momentum. Charles Leclerc, in the upgraded Ferrari, followed closely behind, just 0.228 seconds off the pace, while Lando Norris rounded out the top three with a strong showing for McLaren. The session hinted at a fierce battle brewing between these top teams as the weekend progresses.
Rookie Woes: Antonelli Crashes in Debut
The session was particularly eventful for Kimi Antonelli, who made his FP1 debut with Mercedes. Unfortunately, the young driver’s first experience in a Formula 1 car ended prematurely after a crash at Parabolica. Antonelli lost control mid-corner, sending his car sliding into the barriers. While he was able to walk away unscathed, the incident was a significant setback for Mercedes, who were looking to gather crucial data on their new floor spec. The red flags that followed briefly halted the session, adding to the tension on track.
Franco Colapinto: A Mixed Bag
Franco Colapinto, filling in for Logan Sargeant at Williams for the remainder of the season, had a challenging debut. The Argentine driver finished 17th after completing 23 laps, running both medium and soft tire compounds. Although he had a brief off-track moment, which sent him into the gravel, Colapinto managed to keep the car going, showing resilience on his first day in the Williams seat.
Ferrari’s Upgrades Show Promise
Ferrari arrived at their home Grand Prix with a fresh set of upgrades, including new overalls for their drivers and black highlights on their livery. The improvements appeared to pay off, with Leclerc setting competitive times and momentarily topping the session. However, Carlos Sainz, despite running the same upgrades, struggled to match his teammate’s pace, ending the session in sixth place. The Italian team will be under immense pressure from their passionate tifosi to deliver a strong performance throughout the weekend.
Low Downforce Challenges
As expected at Monza, teams opted for some of the lowest downforce setups of the season, making the cars incredibly quick on the straights but challenging to handle in the corners. This setup will be crucial as drivers aim to extract maximum speed without compromising stability, particularly during the race’s high-speed sections like the iconic Parabolica.
Bottas and Hamilton Trade Blows
Valtteri Bottas had a strong session, briefly topping the times before being eclipsed by Verstappen and Leclerc. Bottas’s performance was notable as he battled tire graining on his soft tires, which were 14 laps old by the end of the session. Lewis Hamilton also had a solid outing, despite a few moments of instability, including a brush with the kerbs that nearly sent him off track. The seven-time world champion ended the session in fourth, just behind Bottas.
Quickest Sector Times
The quickest sector times during FP1 were:
- Sector 1: 26.854 sec. by Alex Albon with the Willaims FW44.
- Sector 2: 27.481 sec. by Max Verstappen with the Red Bull RB20.
- Sector 3: 21.176 sec. by Lewis Hamilton with the Mercedes W15.
Looking Ahead to FP2
As the dust settles on FP1, all eyes now turn to the second practice session, where teams will continue to fine-tune their setups and gather more data. With track temperatures expected to rise further, tire management will be a crucial factor. The session kicks off at 17:00 local time, and it will be interesting to see how the teams adapt and whether any of the rookies can bounce back from a challenging start.
The quickest lap time of last year's FP1 was a 1:20.294 min, set by Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari SF-23 on hard tyres.
FP1 Times Table 2024 Italian GP
| P | No | Driver | Team | Time | 1st Gap | Laps | Tyres |
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:21,676 | 18 | S | |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:21,904 | +0,228s | 22 | S |
| 3 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:21,917 | +0,241s | 25 | S |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:22,126 | +0,450s | 23 | S |
| 5 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | 1:22,127 | +0,451s | 21 | S |
| 6 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:22,199 | +0,523s | 22 | S |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:22,214 | +0,538s | 23 | S |
| 8 | 23 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:22,220 | +0,544s | 23 | S |
| 9 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | 1:22,311 | +0,635s | 20 | S |
| 10 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:22,315 | +0,639s | 18 | S |
| 11 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1:22,572 | +0,896s | 21 | S |
| 12 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Racing Bulls | 1:22,605 | +0,929s | 20 | M |
| 13 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 1:22,714 | +1,038s | 22 | S |
| 14 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:22,763 | +1,087s | 21 | S |
| 15 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | 1:22,854 | +1,178s | 21 | S |
| 16 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:22,864 | +1,188s | 20 | S |
| 17 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Williams | 1:22,880 | +1,204s | 23 | S |
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:22,880 | +1,204s | 20 | S |
| 19 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas | 1:23,157 | +1,481s | 22 | M |
| 20 | 12 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | 1:23,955 | +2,279s | 5 | S |
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Antonelli will still become a full-time driver & merely an inevitable rookie error anyway, so zero harm done.
Colapinto also had a tough wake-up call at Alboreto-Parabolica.