What went on in second Italian GP F1 practice session

Carlos Sainz ensured Ferrari ended both Friday practice sessions fastest at the Italian Grand Prix by beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to top spot in FP2.

Key moments:

> Sainz fastest but has back-of-the-grid penalty

> Red flag for Schumacher’s loss of power

> Norris impressive fourth for McLaren

Sainz and Verstappen, who are among six Formula 1 drivers with grid penalties this weekend, were separated by 0.143 seconds with times set either side of a mid-session red flag.

Verstappen among drivers taking Italian GP grid penalties

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The 1m21.664s Sainz set on soft tyres in the second half of the session was the fastest of the weekend so far, and meant Ferrari – running a special livery at its home grand prix to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Monza circuit – topped another session following Charles Leclerc’s fastest time in FP1.

Leclerc ended FP2 in third, just 0.050s down on Verstappen, having like team-mate Sainz set his best time after the red flag.

That was shown when Mick Schumacher stopped his Haas before the first Lesmo, with his car appearing to lose power when he clobbered a kerb at the della Roggia chicane.

Schumacher, who was already down on track time handed his Haas over to Ferrari reserve and 2023 hopeful Antonio Giovinazzi for FP1, ended the session slowest of all.

Though the Ferraris improved after the red flag, setting his time earlier meant Verstappen was able to get a headstart on his long-run simulations and recorded a 15-lap stint on mediums before the chequered flag.

Lando Norris was a surprise fourth for McLaren, having been one of the first to switch to soft tyres in the session.

That meant he beat George Russell (fifth) and Lewis Hamilton (seventh), with the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez between the two Mercedes drivers.

Alpine pair Esteban Ocon and Fernando Alonso were eighth and ninth, with the Williams of Alex Albon rounding out the top 10.

The Aston Martins, running arguably the lowest-downforce specification of any team at Monza, were a lowly 17th and 18th ahead only of Williams’s Nicholas Latifi and Schumacher.

Practice 2 Results