Norris Edges Leclerc in Italian GP Practice

Lando Norris

Lando Norris tops final practice for the Italian Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri hot on his heels.

McLaren is on the verge of extending its winning streak to six consecutive races at the iconic...

Lando Norris topped the final practice session for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, setting a blistering lap time of 1 minute and 19.331 seconds. Charles Leclerc put up a strong fight, finishing a mere 0.021 seconds behind Norris's best time, thanks to a late improvement on soft tires that thrilled the home crowd.

Championship leader Oscar Piastri secured third place, trailing Norris by 0.165 seconds. With 34 points separating them, Norris is gunning to close the gap and challenge Piastri's top spot. Max Verstappen and George Russell rounded out the top five, with Verstappen just 0.167 seconds shy of Norris's pace.

The session saw some notable performances, including Gabriel Bortoleto's impressive sixth place in the Sauber, while Lewis Hamilton finished seventh, 0.267 seconds off Norris's pace. Hamilton, however, faces a five-place grid penalty for ignoring yellow flags at the Dutch GP, which might impact his qualifying chances.

Charles Leclerc, the winner of last year's Monaco Grand Prix, secured the second-fastest time in the latest qualifying session, trailing the leader by a mere 0.021 seconds. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri, who has dominated this season with seven wins, was 0.165 seconds off the pace.

McLaren is on the verge of extending its winning streak to six consecutive races at the iconic “Temple of Speed.” With Piastri and Lando Norris likely to occupy the front row, they could secure their eighth one-two finish of the campaign, further solidifying their team's impressive performance this season.

Max Verstappen, the four-time world champion from Red Bull, qualified fourth fastest, looking to close the gap and challenge McLaren's dominance in Sunday's race.

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari's newest driver, had a rollercoaster session at the Italian Grand Prix. After topping the first practice session on Friday with a lap time of 1:20.117 seconds, he struggled in the final practice, managing only the seventh-fastest time. Hamilton expressed his concerns over the team radio, saying, “Need some more juice. Need some more speed somehow.” This significant drop in performance has left Ferrari fans wondering about the team's strategy and car setup.

Practice in Monza ✅ #McLaren | #ItalianGP 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/JM4d6azhzS

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) September 6, 2025

Other Top Performers

Meanwhile, George Russell put Mercedes' W15 on the right track, securing fifth place. Gabriel Bortoleto impressed with a sixth-place finish in the Sauber, while Isack Hadjar from Racing Bulls snatched eighth place. Mercedes' Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli followed closely in ninth, and Alex Albon rounded out the top 10 for Williams.

It's worth noting that Hamilton's teammate, Charles Leclerc, had a more consistent performance, finishing second in the first practice session, only 0.169 seconds behind Hamilton's fastest lap. With a five-place grid penalty looming over Hamilton due to a double yellow flag incident in the Dutch GP, the stakes are high for Ferrari this weekend.