Lewis Hamilton set the pace in the first practice of the Italian Grand Prix, debuting with Ferrari at Monza.The British driver, who described his start with the team as an “emotional rollercoaster”, will face a five-place grid penalty due to a yellow flag infringement in the previous race in the Netherlands.Despite this setback, the speed demonstrated by Ferrari in the first practice session at the “Temple of Speed” offers hope to the seven-time world champion.Charles Leclerc placed second, 0.169 seconds behind Hamilton, solidifying Ferrari as the dominant team in their home event.Carlos Sainz finished third for Williams, 0.533 seconds behind Hamilton, followed by Max Verstappen of Red Bull.Kimi Antonelli, local favorite, achieved fifth place in his Mercedes, surpassing Lando Norris.George Russell had to stop on the track due to an engine failure in the final moments of the session, which brought the one-hour session to an early end.Hamilton, who has experienced a turbulent first year with Ferrari, arrived after an accident at the Dutch Grand Prix.
Hamilton dominates practice in Monza with Ferrari, Leclerc 2nd and Verstappen 4th
