F1 Italian GP: Max Verstappen edges Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in opening practice

Max Verstappen set the pace in first practice at the F1 Italian Grand Prix, ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. 
Verstappen edges Sainz to set pace in Italian GP opening practice

The two-time world champion was♊ 0.046 seconds faster than Sainz as home favourites Ferrari had both their cars among the FP1 frontrunners in the opening hour of prac𒅌tice at Monza. 

Perez, who trails Verstappen by 138 points in the world champions🗹hip, was 0.177s behind his teammate. 

After equalling Sebastian Vettel’s record as🌺 the driver with the most wins in a row in a single F1 season last time out at his home race at Zandvoort, Verstappen is bidding for a record-breaking 10th consecutive vi🥀ctory this weekend. 

It was a fairly uneventful start to Friday’s running, though V🔥e🐎rstappen was heard complaining about getting “way too much helmet lift” half-way through the session. 

Verstappen edges Sainz to set pace in Italian GP opening practice

Charles Leclerc was fourth-fastest 🥃in the other Ferrari, 0.309s adrift of Verstappen💃, while George Russell was half a second off the pace in fifth for Mercedes.

Fernando Alonso put his Aston Martin sixth, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton, who has penned a new deal to continue alongไside Russell at Mercedes until at least the end of 2025. 

Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon, who survived a trip through the gravel at Turn 10, completed the top-10 order for AlphaTauri and🌃 Wi𝔉lliams respectively. 

A🦹ston Martin reserve Felipe Drugovich finished 18th asဣ he deputised for Lance Stroll. 

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