Sainz fastest in Italian GP FP2 to give Tifosi reason to cheer

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz goes fastest in Free Practice 2 of the Italian Grand Prix, in the team’s home race, to give the beloved Tifosi a reason to cheer. 

• Two red flags plagued running in the final session of the Italian Grands Prix opening day as Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll ignited the first early on and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez brought out the last one.

• Lando Norris popped into the top three, one-hundredths off the pace, as McLaren’s form continues to improve.
• Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton compromised his running in FP2 as he was not happy with the set-up of the car as the team experimented with rear wing configurations. 

Sainz looked to threaten Verstappen over honours to be the fastest man, throughout FP2, as the Spaniard jumped to the top of the timing boards in the early stages at Ferrari’s home event at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. 

Despite a demotion from the top, Sainz soon returned with the fastest time of the session: 1:21.355. One-tenth of a second separated the top three as Norris occupied second, one-hundredth off Sainz’s pace, and Perez rounded out the top three. 

Although he set the third fastest lap, Perez brought out the last red flag of the session after he lost control of the RB19 on the exit of the final corner. The #11 Red Bull understeered into the gravel trap and spun out as he tried to return to the circuit before he came to a halt with a tap with the barrier. 

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri led as the best of the rest, in fourth, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc just behind in fifth and sixth respectively.

Williams’ Alexander Albon was the only driver inside the top 10 not to set his fastest time on the board with the soft tyres. Instead, the London-born driver completed his best time on the medium compounds, six-tenths off the pace, in seventh.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, Mercedes’ George Russell and Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top 10 in eighth, ninth and 10th respectively. 

Haas’ Kevin Magnussen led the bottom 10 drivers, in 11th, on the soft tyres with a time that was 1.2s off the pace. Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly were within a tenth behind, in 12th and 13th subsequently. 

Alpha Tauri’s Yuki Tsunoda (14th) and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon (15th) completed the top 15 with only two-hundredths of a second between the two drivers.

Williams’ Logan Sargeant was the first driver, in the bottom 10, to set his fastest time – in 16th – on the medium compound tyres, ahead of both Hamilton (17th) and Alpha Tauri’s Liam Lawson (18th).  

Hamilton compromised his practice session as the seven-time world champion was heard over the team radio, unhappy with his car’s performance through the opening two corners where he had lost time to Russell. This came as the team continued to perfect their rear-wing configuration ahead of qualifying on Saturday which would place the cars under parc ferme conditions. 

Last of the drivers who set the lap time on the board was Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu who finished last, nearly two seconds off the pace, down in 19th. 

Stroll rounded out the 20 drivers without a time on the board. On his first meaningful lap, the Candian suffered mechanical issues on the run to the Ascari Chicane and was forced to pull off the circuit. 

As the Aston Martin driver could not get the car moving, to drag it back to the pits, the marshals at the Italian circuit quickly pushed Stroll of the circuit. 

Free practice three returns at 11:30am (BST) – 12:30 (local time) – ahead of qualifying to set the grid for the 2023 Italian Grand Prix.

That’s all for the article: Sainz fastest in Italian GP FP2 to give Tifosi reason to cheer!

Read more Formula 1 here:

• Verstappen tops first practice of Italian GP with hard tyre run
• Lewis Hamilton puts F1 speculation to bed with two-year extension with Mercedes
• Ferrari and Alfa Romeo to run special liveries for Italian GP
• Lawson set to continue with Alpha Tauri as Ricciardo recovers
• Verstappen secures 9th consecutive race win in Dutch GP
• LIVE COVERAGE: F1 2023 DUTCH GP

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.