P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Verstappen edges Sainz to set pace in Italian GP opening practice
The two-time world champion was faster than Sainz by 0.046 seconds in the opening hour of practice at Monza, where both Ferrari cars were among the frontrunners. Perez, who is currently 138 points behind Verstappen in the world championship, trailed his teammate by 0.177s. Verstappen, who recently equaled Vettel’s record for consecutive wins in a single F1 season, is aiming for a record-breaking 10th consecutive victory this weekend. Verstappen complained about excessive helmet lift during the session, but otherwise, it was a fairly uneventful start to Friday’s running. Leclerc finished fourth, followed by Russell in fifth for Mercedes. Alonso, Norris, and Hamilton were in sixth, seventh, and eighth positions respectively. Tsunoda and Albon rounded out the top ten for AlphaTauri and Williams. Aston Martin reserve driver Drugovich finished 18th as a substitute for Lance Stroll.
Source: Crash.net
