FP1 report: Ferrari tests huge upgrade package at Monza | 2024 F1 Italian GP. How FP1 unfolded for Ferrari at Monza.

The Italian GP weekend has kicked off. Let’s revisit the key moments and results from the first practice session at Monza with our summary.

The session began with a flurry of on-track activity. Much of the focus was on Kimi Antonelli, making his official debut in a Formula 1 session. Teams chose different tire strategies. Red Bull and Mercedes started on the soft tires, while Ferrari and McLaren opted for the mediums. Mercedes conducted comparative work on the W15, with Antonelli testing the floor specification introduced in Belgium.

The initial minutes were crucial for data collection. Alonso and Piastri went out with aero rakes attached to their cars to assess the updates. Red Bull also applied flow viz to study the airflow over the rear wing. Ferrari had several updates, particularly regarding the floor.

Antonelli crashes as the track evolves
The first dramatic moment occurred just 10 minutes into the session. Kimi Antonelli lost control of his W15 at the Parabolica, crashing into the barriers and bringing out the red flag. It was certainly not the debut he had hoped for. After about 15 minutes, the session resumed. Charles Leclerc also managed to get out of the garage after dealing with a sensor issue in the early minutes. As the drivers familiarized themselves with Monza’s new track surface and curbs, lap times steadily improved. Thirty minutes into the session, Bottas led the standings on soft tires, followed by Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon on mediums.

For Ferrari, Carlos Sainz appeared to be comfortable with the car from the start. Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, faced some difficulties, losing control of the car a couple of times and requesting setup changes.

This round is the most important event of the year for the Maranello team and it is no surprise that they have brought significant upgrades to the Italian Grand Prix. A new floor, diffuser and engine cover is on the car to try and improve downforce, plus some of the bouncing Ferrari have been suffering with. Just like every other team on the grid, they have a circuit specific front wing for Monza due to its high top speeds on the straights. Charles Leclerc was able to finish on the podium at Zandvoort on Monday and the team will be hoping for a special win on home soil. There are plenty of circuit specific front and rear wings across the field, with RB being the only other team with big upgrades.

The track showed significant evolution, a typical occurrence with new asphalt. The optimal conditions will likely be seen in FP2. With 15 minutes remaining, both the SF-24s and the MCL38s switched to soft tires for an initial qualifying simulation. Leclerc edged out Norris by just 13 thousandths of a second, with Carlos Sainz in third and Oscar Piastri in fifth.

Max Verstappen responded with six minutes left, going fastest by two-tenths, benefiting from fresh tires on a more rubbered-in track. Teams spent the final five minutes on mini long runs, with each driver completing only a few laps, providing limited information. More meaningful data is expected in the second session.

Here are the results from FP1 practice for the 2024 Italian Grand Prix: