Sainz ends Italian GP Friday on top, Perez spins out

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz set the fastest time in second practice for the 2023 Italian Grand Prix, as Monza’s typical slipstreaming traffic problems spoiled Max Verstappen’s qualifying simulation.

Key moments:

> Sainz sets the pace for Ferrari

> Two McLarens in top four

> Perez causes red flag with Parabolica off

> No mileage for Stroll

Verstappen was only fifth-fastest for Red Bull, almost three tenths off the pace. He described the middle sector of his best lap as “shocking with the traffic” after encountering a train of slow-moving cars through the Lesmos.

Formula 1’s reigning double world champion urged his team to allow him a second run, complaining he “didn’t get a proper read” on the RB19’s balance over one lap, but his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase told Verstappen to pit regardless, deadpanning to his driver’s audible protestations “it’s not qualifying, Max”.

Though McLaren team boss Andrea Stella has played down his team’s chance of fighting for a podium on this low-downforce circuit, Lando Norris was second-fastest in FP2, just 0.019s behind Sainz, while Oscar Piastri was fourth – sandwiched between the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Sergio Perez, who later caused a red flag after running wide into the Parabolica gravel and beaching his RB19 after a slight impact with the wall during the high-fuel race runs.

🚩 RED FLAG 🚩

Perez slides through the gravel at the final corner and gently bumps the wall#ItalianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/BppMzP0xyd

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 1, 2023

Charles Leclerc rounded out the top six for Ferrari, which also looked competitive on the medium-compound tyre in the early running, suggesting Ferrari’s rear wing efficiency choice for this circuit is working well.

Alex Albon continued to impress for Williams, setting the seventh-fastest time overall using the medium compound – but he and team-mate Logan Sargeant ran out of sequence on tyres compared to the majority of the field, running the softs initially then switching to the mediums.

Fernando Alonso was eighth-fastest for Aston Martin, while team-mate Lance Stroll failed to complete a flying lap after giving up his car to rookie reserve driver Felipe Drugovich for FP1 then suffering a fuel system shutdown on his out-lap in FP2, meaning the first 10 minutes of the session were lost to a red-flag stoppage after Stroll’s car lost drive approaching the Ascari chicane.

🚩 RED FLAG 🚩

Stroll pulls up at the side of the track after a sudden loss of power, and the session is halted #ItalianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/QOZiAScJOd

— Formula 1 (@F1) September 1, 2023

George Russell was the faster of the Mercedes drivers in ninth, ahead of Haas pair Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen. Russell’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton languished in 17th, complaining to his Mercedes team about a rear wing choice that left him 5km/h down in straight-line speed compared to Russell – though Mercedes also said Hamilton was giving away some laptime to Russell through the first chicane.

Hamilton also looked as though he baulked McLaren’s Piastri through the second chicane during the early running, leading to a sarcastic “yeah, nice from Hamilton” radio message from Piastri to his team.

Practice 2 Results