Scuderia Ferrari HP completed its Friday free practice sessions for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza without any issues. Both SF-24 cars were equipped with an updated package from the start, allowing Charles Leclerc and Carlos Saenz ample time to adapt to the car’s new configuration and to the newly resurfaced track with modified kerbs at some of Monza’s most iconic corners, like the Askari chicane. Today’s practice results suggest that tomorrow’s qualifying session could be incredibly close, with just thousandths of a second separating grid positions. Looking ahead to the race, all teams experienced tyre graining during the long runs this afternoon, a condition that should improve as more rubber is laid down on the track.
FP1: Carlos Saenz and Charles Leclerc began on Medium tyres, continuing after a red flag pause due to Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s accident at Parabolical
Midway through the session, both Ferraris switched to Soft tyres, with Leclerc posting the second-fastest time of 1’21”904, while Sainz clocked in at 1’22”126. Toward the end, both drivers ran heavier fuel loads to simulate race conditions on the Medium tyres they started with. Leclerc completed 23 laps and Sainz 24, totaling 47 laps for the team.
FP2: Both drivers again started on Medium tyres before switching to Softs. Sainz’s best lap was 1’20”841, placing him third and just 103 thousandths off the fastest time, while Leclerc posted a 1’20”892. The session was briefly halted after Kevin Magnussen went off track at the second Lesmo. Upon resumption, both drivers returned to their initial Medium tyres to assess the car’s performance with a full fuel load. Leclerc completed 26 laps, while Sainz, who switched back to his earlier Soft tyres at the end, did 27 laps, bringing the team total to 53 laps.
Saturday: Tomorrow’s final practice session will focus on fine-tuning the cars for qualifying and further assessing race pace. Practice begins at 12:30 CEST, with qualifying at 17:00.
Carlos Sainz #55:
“It was a very busy and interesting Friday. The Monza track has changed significantly, with different kerbs and a new surface. Because of this, the challenges and limitations are quite different from previous years, and we had to adapt our car setup and understand tyre degradation under this new scenario. There’s still a lot of work to do tonight to improve for tomorrow, but overall, it was a positive start to the weekend.”
Charles Leclerc #16:
It was quite a positive day overall. The car’s performance is good, driving it felt nice, and the upgrades we brought are working as expected. Our main focus now will be on balance, as there is still room for improvement in that area. The race on Sunday will be tricky for everyone, especially with the new asphalt, so tyre management will be key. We are closer to our competitors than we were in Zandvoort, but they remain very strong, so we’ll have a lot of competition tomorrow.
