Stint Recap at Monza
Carlos Sainz marked his 29th birthday week with a strong Monza performance for Ferrari. The Madrid-born driver started the first free practice in second place, narrowly behind Max Verstappen by 0.046 seconds. In the Italian Grand Prix venue, he topped the second session with a best of 1.21.355, using both the medium and soft compounds to set the fastest laps.
Lando Norris opened up with a clear statement for McLaren as the session unfolded, while Oscar Piastri finished fourth, squeezed between Sergio Pérez and Verstappen as Red Bulls pressed the pace. Fernando Alonso, aiming to climb the orders on the fast Monza track, briefly sat eighth, about seven tenths behind Sainz, after the early runs with the rear wing and the DRS system on the home straight layout.
Stroll’s Car Stops on Track
Aston Martin encountered a setback as Lance Stroll’s power unit experienced a fuel pressure fault on the approach to Ascari, halting his progress and triggering the session’s first red flag. The Canadian driver could not continue, and his runs came to an abrupt stop as the car sat idle on the pit lane.
Red flag! Stroll later reported power loss during the afternoon session. The moment was captured in real time by race coverage and broadcast commentary. [DAZN Spain]
Putting on a strong impression at home, Ferrari again led the second practice with Sainz advancing the lap record and clocking 1.21.565, a time that surpassed last year’s benchmark in the same session. Fernando Alonso managed to improve on his second lap, placing third on soft tires and closing in to half a second behind the Spaniard, as the field began to settle into the afternoon rhythm.
Perez responded to Sainz’s time with a quicker run, while Sainz countered by lowering the time once more on the soft Pirelli configuration. Norris climbed to second behind the Madrid native. In the final moments, Checo Pérez briefly shone, but a late mishap in the Parabolic zone sent the RB19 into the containment barriers, forcing a red flag and briefly interrupting the action.
Checo Pérez faced a scare and a near-miss as the session paused again. The incident was documented by broadcast teams and post-session social coverage. [DAZN Spain]
With four minutes left on the clock, the track quickly returned to green, but no major improvements emerged, leaving teams eager for a clearer picture on the subsequent day. Monza remained the focus for every squad as they gathered data for the final tune-ups before qualifying.
Italian Grand Prix Free 2 Standings
1. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 1.21.355
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) at 0.019
3. Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) at 0.185
4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) at 0.190
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) at 0.276
6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) at 0.361
7. Alexander Albon (Williams) at 0.624
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) at 0.716
9. George Russell (Mercedes) at 0.821
10. Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) at 0.936
11. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) at 1.219
12. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) at 1.240
13. Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri) at 1.296
14. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) at 1.341
15. Esteban Ocon (Alpines) at 1.361
16. Logan Sargeant (Williams) at 1.400
17. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) at 1.428
18. Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri) at 1.812
19. Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo) at 1.991
20. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) — status not classified