Formula 1’s final European double-header opened at Monza with George Russell setting the quickest time of Friday practice and team-mate Kimi Antonelli third. Mercedes ran two very different programmes, with Antonelli concentrating on race preparation ahead of a power unit penalty that sends him to the back of the grid. The team says Ferrari again looked like the benchmark, with McLaren and Red Bull expected to be in the fight on Saturday.
Mercedes finished the opening day of the 2026 Italian Grand Prix weekend on top of the timing screens, with George Russell fastest in Friday practice at Monza and Kimi Antonelli third. The team described it as a productive day in which it completed its programme on both single-lap runs and longer stints.
Two very different run plans
Antonelli will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid because of a power unit penalty, so Mercedes used his Friday mainly for long runs and race preparation. Russell worked through a more conventional, balanced programme split between qualifying-style laps and race simulation work.
Both cars ran the medium compound in the first session and the hard tyre in the second, each combined with the soft.
Grip levels prompted a set-up change
According to Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin, track grip was surprisingly good from the start of the day. That led the team to trim the wing levels on Russell’s car before the second session, a change that also gave the engineers a direct comparison between the two cars, which were running different configurations.
“Overall we had a good Friday here in Monza. It’s hard to judge how the performance will develop when you switch from a high-downforce circuit like Zandvoort to a low-downforce one like Monza, but today’s results were quite encouraging. There’s no guarantee that Friday’s pace carries over to Saturday and Sunday, but the car is in a good place and we can build on it to find further improvements.”
Ferrari still seen as the benchmark
Despite topping the day, Mercedes was quick to point out that the revised Ferrari looked strong on both a single lap and on race runs, even though it did not end Friday at the top of the timesheets. Russell said the picture at the front remains crowded.
“It was great to be back on track at Monza. It is a great circuit and always fun to drive. Friday went pretty well for us. We got through a lot and seemed to have decent pace both over one lap and on the long runs. After the first session we made some adjustments that proved helpful. We know, though, that there is more work ahead of us overnight.”
He added: “Ferrari looked very competitive and still seem to be the benchmark to beat. We also know how strong McLaren have been recently, and I have no doubt they will be up at the front tomorrow. We can’t overlook Red Bull either. It is a promising start to the weekend, but it is early. Let’s see what Saturday brings.”
Antonelli banks data for a recovery drive
For Antonelli, the grid penalty turns the weekend into an overtaking exercise, and the long runs were aimed squarely at Sunday.
“Today was a bit different from a normal Friday. As we are starting from the back of the grid, we focused more on optimising our race pace. We gathered a lot of data and don’t seem too far away in terms of competitiveness. If we want to fight our way forward, we need to be strong and produce a lot of overtakes on Sunday. Our long runs gave us some experience in that respect today, which will hopefully prove very useful in the race.”
The Italian driver also thanked the home crowd: “It’s fantastic to be here in Monza. The fans have supported us incredibly and that means a lot to me. I’m really looking forward to how the rest of the weekend goes, and I want to thank everyone cheering me and the team on.”
What Friday does and does not tell us
Monza is the lowest-downforce circuit of the season, and teams arrive there straight from Zandvoort, one of the highest. That makes Friday running unusually valuable — and unusually hard to read, because fuel loads and engine modes are unknown across the field. Mercedes says data analysis will continue overnight before final set-up decisions are made.
“There is still some data to analyse before we can make a final decision, but we have the night to do that work. In terms of performance it certainly looks close. All the teams we are fighting have shown strong pace at various points today. We’re not taking anything for granted, but we’re pleased that we seem to be in the fight.”
Qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix takes place on Saturday, with the race on Sunday.
Source: media.mercedes-benz.com