Hamilton edges Norris in Italian GP second practice

Lewis Hamilton narrowly topped the timesheets in the second practice session for the Italian Grand Prix, outpacing Lando Norris by a mere 0.003 seconds.

The session, held on Monza's newly resurfaced track, saw a mix of strategies and unexpected results.

Early on, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc briefly led, delighting the home crowd.

McLaren's drivers then set the pace during the qualifying simulation runs, with Norris initially ahead. Hamilton's late effort on used soft tires secured the top spot.

Max Verstappen's soft tire run was disrupted by an oversteer moment at Parabolica and a subsequent red flag caused by Kevin Magnussen's crash at Lesmo Two.

The session resumed for race simulation runs, with George Russell joining late due to earlier car repairs, eventually climbing to sixth.

What we learned from Italian GP FP2

The long straights and short corners of Monza appear to have leveled the playing field among Formula 1's top teams to an unprecedented degree.

Long run averages on medium tires revealed a remarkably tight spread, with just 0.1 seconds separating the six cars from four teams over 10 laps or more.

Red Bull

Red Bull's Max Verstappen, despite topping FP1, found himself outside the top 10 in FP2 due to circumstances.

He reported tyre degradation issues and an imbalance in high-speed corners, indicating Red Bull is still searching for optimal setup.

Mclaren

McLaren emerged as a potential front-runner, with Lando Norris showing impressive consistency in long runs. However, Norris remained cautious about the car's overall pace.

Oscar Piastri's single-lap pace also caught attention, hinting at McLaren's strong qualifying potential.

Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes matched McLaren's pace, averaging 1m25.53s over 10 laps.

Interestingly, George Russell posted the fastest overall average of 1m24.95s, albeit over a shorter 7-lap run, which may have flattered his times.

Both drivers reported issues with overheating seats during the session.

Ferrari

Ferrari, running a notably low-downforce rear wing, showed promise on their home turf, particularly in straight-line speed.

The new track surface has added an element of unpredictability, affecting tyre behavior and degradation.

Teams face a crucial night of data analysis and setup adjustments, with McLaren's Andrea Stella highlighting the importance of understanding tyre performance on the smoother tarmac.

As the weekend progresses, the battle between these top teams promises to be intensely close, with setup decisions likely playing a pivotal role in determining the final pecking order for qualifying and the race.