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The air temperature is 31 degrees C, with a track temperature of 44 degrees and bright sunshine as the sole practice session for today begins.
Yesterday, Lewis Hamilton topped the timesheets, followed by Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, and Oscar Piastri.
Valtteri Bottas showed surprising speed, raising hopes for a potential points finish for his team.
Bottas leads the way as the session starts, with his teammate close behind. Slipstreaming is crucial at this circuit, and drivers are expected to practice this technique today.
Drivers are out on different tire compounds, with Magnussen setting the first timed lap of the day. Verstappen quickly responds with the fastest time so far.
As more drivers set quick times, Piastri and Norris emerge as the early pace-setters. Leclerc, Verstappen, and Russell also show strong performances.
Albon sets the fastest time briefly before Sainz takes over with an even quicker lap. Leclerc then goes fastest, with Norris and Piastri close behind.
Verstappen struggles with balance and speed, while Bottas and Perez face challenges on their flying laps. Leclerc continues to improve his time and holds the top spot as the session progresses.
Russell briefly takes the lead before Leclerc responds with an even quicker lap. Verstappen finally goes out on the soft tires but can only manage sixth place.
As the session nears its conclusion, drivers push for faster times, but several mistakes and aborted laps occur. The true pecking order remains unclear, with Mercedes looking strong, McLaren potentially holding back, and Ferrari showing strong race pace on old tires.
Hamilton finishes the session on top, followed by Russell, Leclerc, Piastri, and Norris. Verstappen settles for sixth place, with Sainz, Albon, Colapinto, and Hulkenberg rounding out the top ten.
Despite the lack of clear answers, the session provides a glimpse of the competitive weekend ahead at the Italian Grand Prix.
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