George Russell finishes the final practice for the Italian Grand Prix as the fastest. The Brit beats teammate Lewis Hamilton and keeps Max Verstappen, who comes third, behind him. At the lightning-fast Monza, it is clearly not just about pure speed, as the slipstream can play a crucial role during qualifying.
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During the final rehearsal for the Italian Grand Prix, little happens in the first ten minutes. Only Pierre Gasly, Carlos Sainz, and Franco Colapinto venture onto the asphalt.
When the big names join the fight, it is home hero Kimi Antonelli who records the fastest time by far. Max Verstappen is second but has to concede more than four tenths to the championship leader. It should be noted that the Mercedes driver is on soft tires, while Verstappen sets his time on the mediums.
Midway through the session, the tifosi have some reason to cheer when Charles Leclerc settles into second place. Also, Pierre Gasly, the winner of the Italian Grand Prix in 2020, is quick on his way and records the third time with his Alpine.
What also stands out is that many drivers are quite in each other’s way. Others make smart use of the car in front of them. At Mercedes, Russell and Antonelli are already practicing giving each other a slipstream. Successfully, as Russell immediately shoots to P1.
With fifteen minutes left on the clock, the drivers on soft tires switch to qualifying simulations. Russell then manages to improve his time even without a slipstream. Verstappen quickly moves to second time and concedes three tenths. Not long after, Antonelli just dips under the time of the four-time world champion.
Like a devil out of a box, Arvid Lindblad then drives to P3. The Racing Bulls driver has made optimal use of a slipstream on the Temple of Speed. It is a preview of what we can expect during qualifying, as at Monza the right timing of a slipstream can make all the difference.
Russell is again lightning-fast in the final phase and dips a few tenths under his own fastest time. Lewis Hamilton climbs to second place meanwhile, while Verstappen records the third time. Mercedes thus seems to have the best setup in the final practice before qualifying.
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