Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc leading the way after the first practice session confirms the competitiveness of the Ferrari SF-25 at the Temple of Speed. The Briton also opted for the lower-downforce rear wing after starting the session with last year’s Monza configuration. The weekend on the Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit could not have started better for the Scuderia.
Ferrari closed the first practice session of the Italian Grand Prix with a one-two finish. The notable news is that Lewis Hamilton ended the session ahead of Charles Leclerc. The seven-time world champion, after beginning FP1 with a lower-downforce setup but with a slightly more resistant rear flap, followed his teammate, who chose to start Friday practice with the movable element trimmed at the trailing edge.
This solution, combined with the unique beam wing and the front wing featuring a significantly reduced final flap in the central portion, was clearly aimed at improving aerodynamic efficiency along the long straights and achieving impressive top speeds.
As previously highlighted on ScuderiaFans.com, the team put significant effort into preparing for the home Grand Prix, trusting that the engineers led by Loic Serra would be able to develop a setup with minimal ride height for the floor.
The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is an extremely smooth and fast circuit, meaning the SF-25 does not suffer the same endemic issues that affected the car in the Netherlands. The increase in downforce achieved without having to rely heavily on wing incidence allowed Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc to claim the top positions, posting lap times that bode well for the rest of the Italian Grand Prix weekend.
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