Lewis Hamilton edged out Fernando Alonso to go quickest in the first practice session for the Italian Grand Prix on Friday morning.
The Mercedes driver was just 35 hundredths ahead of the Ferrari – but both drivers looked capable of going quicker had it not been for a mistake for Alonso on his final run and had Hamilton not backed off on his after setting purple sector one and two times.
The second Mercedes of Nico Rosberg claimed third, just ahead of the title protagonists Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.
It was one of the closest practice sessions this season, with the top seven within half a second and the top 14 within a second.
The session saw the usual errors which have become common place around Monza – outbraking and chicane cutting. Pastor Maldonado’s was the most dramatic as he bounced across the gravel at Ascari.
FP1 Times – 2013 Italian Grand Prix:
| # | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | L. Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:25.565 | 24 | |
| 02 | F. Alonso | Ferrari | 1:25.600 | +0.035 | 25 |
| 03 | N. Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:25.704 | +0.139 | 25 |
| 04 | S. Vettel | Red Bull | 1:25.753 | +0.188 | 26 |
| 05 | K. Räikkönen | Lotus | 1:25.941 | +0.376 | 22 |
| 06 | S. Perez | McLaren | 1:26.007 | +0.442 | 24 |
| 07 | J. Button | McLaren | 1:26.035 | +0.470 | 23 |
| 08 | M. Webber | Red Bull | 1:26.103 | +0.538 | 27 |
| 09 | P. Maldonado | Williams | 1:26.149 | +0.584 | 21 |
| 10 | J-E. Vergne | Toro Rosso | 1:26.155 | +0.590 | 25 |
| 11 | E. Gutierrez | Sauber | 1:26.194 | +0.629 | 25 |
| 12 | R. Grosjean | Lotus | 1:26.295 | +0.730 | 23 |
| 13 | D. Ricciardo | Toro Rosso | 1:26.387 | +0.822 | 21 |
| 14 | F. Massa | Ferrari | 1:26.449 | +0.884 | 16 |
| 15 | P. di Resta | Force India | 1:26.594 | +1.029 | 13 |
| 16 | V. Bottas | Williams | 1:26.802 | +1.237 | 21 |
| 17 | J. Calado | Force India | 1:27.041 | +1.476 | 24 |
| 18 | N. Hulkenberg | Sauber | 1:27.224 | +1.659 | 16 |
| 19 | C. Pic | Caterham | 1:27.818 | +2.253 | 24 |
| 20 | M. Chilton | Marussia | 1:27.869 | +2.304 | 20 |
| 21 | H. Kovalainen | Caterham | 1:28.192 | +2.627 | 21 |
| 22 | R. Gonzalez | Marussia | 1:29.526 | +3.961 | 26 |
