Formula 1 championship leader Max Verstappen once again showcased his remarkable command of the Red Bull RB19, setting the fastest time during the opening practice session for the Italian Grand Prix at the iconic Monza circuit. What made his performance particularly striking was achieving this feat on a single set of hard compound tyres, underlining both his raw pace and the car’s formidable balance.

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Verstappen’s blistering lap of 1’22.657 was a mere 0.046 seconds quicker than Ferrari’s home hero, Carlos Sainz Jnr. In an unusual display of tyre conservation, a strategic move influenced by the Alternative Tyre Allocation (ATA) format introduced for the weekend, each of the top six fastest drivers completed the entire opening hour of running on just one set of tyres. This innovative regulation challenged teams to rethink their Friday practice programmes, focusing on efficiency and race preparation rather than outright single-lap glory on softer compounds.

The first practice session unfolded under a blanket of overcast skies above the historic “Temple of Speed,” Monza. Despite the grey canopy, there was no immediate threat of rain, allowing drivers to acclimate to the high-speed demands of the circuit in stable conditions. The initial stages saw a majority of the grid venture out on the hard compound Pirelli tyres. This included the championship-leading Red Bull duo of Verstappen and Sergio Perez, the enthusiastic Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, as well as the Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. Their early choice highlighted the teams’ intent to gather crucial data on the most durable tyre compound, which would be critical for race strategy.

The session also provided an opportunity for rising talent. Lance Stroll stepped aside from his Aston Martin AMR23 to allow the team’s junior driver and reigning Formula 2 champion, Felipe Drugovich, to make his debut in a competitive F1 practice session. This valuable track time is vital for young drivers to gain experience in a current-generation F1 car and for teams to evaluate their potential. Meanwhile, in an adjacent garage, Alfa Romeo encountered immediate technical hurdles. Both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu were pushed back into their garage after reporting persistent anti-stall issues, severely impacting their initial running and costing them precious track time in a session where every lap counted, especially under the ATA rules.

Verstappen quickly established an early benchmark with a 1’23.479 on his hard tyres, just three-hundredths of a second ahead of his teammate, Perez, signalling Red Bull’s immediate pace advantage. However, the session wasn’t without its twists. McLaren’s rookie sensation, Oscar Piastri, briefly elevated his car to the top of the timesheets using the soft compound tyres, demonstrating the potential for quicker laps on the grippier rubber. But it was Verstappen who ultimately had the final say, improving his time to an impressive 1’22.657 on his eighth lap, still on the very same set of hard tyres. This remarkable consistency and pace on the most durable compound sent a clear message to his rivals about his unchallenged performance.

Alfa Romeo eventually managed to get their drivers back out on track, but their struggles persisted. Valtteri Bottas, visibly frustrated, requested to return to the pits midway through his run, emphatically stating that his car was “undriveable.” This ongoing mechanical concern highlighted a challenging start to the weekend for the Swiss-based squad. Elsewhere on track, Williams driver Alexander Albon experienced a nervy moment on the exit of the notoriously fast Ascari chicane. He ran wide, dipping his wheels into the gravel trap, but expertly recovered the car without major incident, guiding it back onto the tarmac. Despite the recovery, Albon immediately returned to the garage, allowing his team to conduct a thorough assessment for any potential damage to his FW45, ensuring its integrity for the rest of the weekend’s demanding schedule.

The influence of the Alternative Tyre Allocation (ATA) format was undeniably the underlying narrative of the session. With fewer tyre sets available for the entire weekend compared to standard Grand Prix events, teams were compelled to be far more judicious with their allocations. This meant that most drivers who found themselves near the top of the standings continued to run on the same set of hard tyres they had started the session with. The latter part of the practice hour saw a distinct shift in focus. Instead of pushing for ultimate single-lap pace, teams dedicated their efforts to longer runs, meticulously collecting data on tyre degradation and fuel consumption, critical for race simulation and strategy planning. As a direct consequence of this strategic shift, there were minimal changes in the order during the closing minutes of the session, solidifying the early benchmarks.

Carlos Sainz concluded the session as the second-fastest driver, matching Verstappen’s tyre strategy by also completing his running on a single set of hard tyres. This strong showing at Ferrari’s home circuit undoubtedly brought a measure of cheer to the Tifosi. Sergio Perez secured third position, reinforcing Red Bull’s dominant start to the weekend. Charles Leclerc, in the second Ferrari, was P4, setting up a tantalising prospect for the Prancing Horse on home soil. George Russell’s Mercedes claimed fifth, ahead of Fernando Alonso in sixth for Aston Martin, and Lando Norris, who put his McLaren in a competitive seventh. Lewis Hamilton followed in eighth, with Yuki Tsunoda of AlphaTauri and Alexander Albon rounding out a hard-fought top ten, demonstrating the depth of competition even in a strategically driven practice session.

2023 Italian Grand Prix First Practice Results

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