Lewis Hamilton set the pace in the first practice of the Italian Grand Prix, in his debut with Ferrari at Monza.Hamilton, who described his start with the Scuderia as an “emotional rollercoaster”, will face a five-place grid penalty for this weekend’s race, due to a yellow flag infringement in the previous round in the Netherlands.This sanction could hinder Hamilton’s aspirations of reaching the podium with Ferrari, however, the Italian team’s performance in the first session at the “Temple of Speed” gives hope to the seven-time world champion.Charles Leclerc finished second, 0.169 seconds behind Hamilton, demonstrating Ferrari’s dominance in their home race. Carlos Sainz finished third for Williams, 0.533 seconds behind Hamilton, followed by Max Verstappen of Red Bull in fourth place.Kimi Antonelli, the local favorite, placed fifth with Mercedes, surpassing Lando Norris.George Russell stopped his single-seater on the track due to an engine failure in the final moments, which ended the one-hour session.
Hamilton dominates practice in Monza: Ferrari in front, Leclerc second.
