George Russell set the pace in Free Practice 2 for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, with the Mercedes driver finishing 0.120 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at Monza.

Russell’s best lap of 1:22.559 put him narrowly ahead of Leclerc, with Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli completing the top three, just 0.141s behind the fastest time.

After a busy opening practice session, FP2 began in blisteringly hot conditions, with the Audi pair among the first drivers to head out onto the circuit. Max Verstappen was also back in action after handing his Red Bull over to Ayumu Iwasa in FP1 as part of the mandatory rookie driver requirement.

Antonelli was the early pacesetter on the hard compound, posting a lap of 1:23.417. Russell soon closed to within 0.017s of his team-mate, also on the hard tyre, while Verstappen struggled for balance on his first competitive running of the weekend.

The Dutchman complained of a lack of downforce and later reported problems with both the overall handling and braking performance of his car. A front-wing change followed as Red Bull attempted to improve the balance.

As the session moved towards its qualifying simulation phase, the soft compound began to appear. Antonelli initially set the benchmark with a lap of 1:22.700, but Russell responded with a 1:22.686 despite sliding through the Ascari chicane.

Leclerc then briefly moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1:22.679, before Russell found further time on his next attempt. The Briton posted a 1:22.559 to reclaim P1 and ultimately secure the fastest lap of the session.

Antonelli remained third, while Lando Norris led McLaren’s challenge in fourth place. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was fifth, ahead of championship leader Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren.

Further down the order, Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad impressed in seventh, ahead of Haas driver Oliver Bearman. Verstappen recovered to ninth despite his earlier difficulties, with Yuki Tsunoda completing the top 10.

With the qualifying simulations complete, attention turned to longer runs. All three tyre compounds were in use as teams gathered data for Sunday’s race, with Leclerc among those running the soft tyre over an extended stint.

The Ferrari driver had a moment at the Variante della Roggia, spinning but successfully recovering without making contact with the barriers. Alpine’s Franco Colapinto also survived a scare after running through the gravel at Ascari before rejoining the circuit.

Verstappen continued to report problems in the closing stages, telling his team that the car was bouncing more heavily and questioning whether the front axle had suffered damage. Antonelli, meanwhile, complained of significant understeer during his long run.

Russell remained unbeaten at the top of the order as the chequered flag fell, finishing 0.120s clear of Leclerc and 0.141s ahead of Antonelli.

2026 FIA Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
1 George Russell Mercedes 1:22.559 31 252.604
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:22.679 0.120 29 252.238
3 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 1:22.700 0.141 32 252.174
4 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1:22.943 0.384 25 251.435
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 1:23.016 0.457 27 251.214
6 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1:23.028 0.469 26 251.177
7 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:23.349 0.790 26 250.210
8 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 1:23.370 0.811 29 250.147
9 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:23.377 0.818 30 250.126
10 Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 1:23.455 0.896 29 249.892
11 Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 1:23.619 1.060 28 249.402
12 Liam Lawson Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 1:23.660 1.101 37 249.280
13 Nico Hülkenberg Audi 1:23.732 1.173 28 249.066
14 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 1:23.773 1.214 27 248.944
15 Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 1:23.776 1.217 22 248.935
16 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1:23.853 1.294 31 248.706
17 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 1:23.900 1.341 30 248.567
18 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 1:24.407 1.848 30 247.074
19 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 1:25.027 2.468 18 245.272
20 Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 1:25.082 2.523 28 245.114
21 Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 1:25.149 2.590 28 244.921
22 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 1:25.253 2.694 27 244.622