World Champion Max Verstappen set the pace during first practice for Formula 1’s Italian Grand Prix as Andrea Kimi Antonelli crashed out.
Verstappen had been languishing down the order but on his Soft tyre run vaulted to the top of the timesheets, setting a lap of 1:21.676s at a very hot and sunny Monza.
Verstappen’s effort left him 0.228s clear of lead Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, with McLaren’s Lando Norris in third place.
Much of the attention prior to the start of the session had been on Mercedes protégé Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli, 18, is in line for a 2025 race seat with Mercedes as the replacement for Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton.
The Italian has already tested extensively for Mercedes in old-spec machinery and Friday’s session was his first public appearance behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.
But it came to a juddering halt just 10 minutes into the session.
Antonelli, having set the fastest middle sector time, lost control of the W15 midway through Parabolica on the recently resurfaced track and spun into the barriers.
The right-hand-side of the W15 sustained damage and the session was halted while the car was removed.
Antonelli, who was not injured in the accident, took no further part in the session.
Hamilton, in the sister Mercedes, finished in seventh position.
Carlos Sainz was fourth for Ferrari while Valtteri Bottas was an eye-catching fifth for Sauber, which has been marooned to the rear of the field for swathes of the season.
Oscar Piastri was sixth, while Williams’ Alex Albon, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso rounded out the top 10.
Franco Colapinto got up to speed with Williams as the Argentine prepares for his Formula 1 debut.
Colapinto, who has taken the place of Logan Sargeant, finished the session in 17th position, seven-tenths of a second behind team-mate Albon.
He had a wide moment through the Parabolic gravel, though was able to return the FW46 to the pit lane.
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