George Russell topped second practice at the Italian Grand Prix on Friday, putting his Mercedes ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at Monza as title contender Oscar Piastri could manage only sixth for McLaren.
Russell set the pace with a lap of one minute 22.559 seconds, finishing 0.120 seconds clear of Leclerc. Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli was third, just 0.141 seconds off the benchmark.
The result represented a strong response from Russell after Leclerc had led a Ferrari one-two in the opening session, with Lewis Hamilton second and the Mercedes driver third.
Lando Norris was fourth in the second practice session, four-tenths of a second behind Russell, while Hamilton took fifth in the other Ferrari. Piastri’s best lap of 1:23.028 left him 0.469 seconds off the lead.
Russell moved to the front during the mid-session qualifying simulations after the leading drivers switched to soft tyres. Leclerc briefly took top spot before the Mercedes driver immediately reclaimed it with his quickest effort.
Leclerc later spun at the Variante della Roggia but avoided contact with the barriers. Max Verstappen, meanwhile, struggled with the balance of his Red Bull and finished ninth, reporting concerns over downforce, braking and bouncing during the session.
