George Russell hits back for Mercedes in Monza practice

George Russell has responded to Ferrari's early lead in Italian Grand Prix practice by setting the fastest lap of the day for Mercedes. The British driver's lap of 1:22.559 was just 0.120 seconds quicker than Ferrari's Charles Leclerc's time of 1:23.008 in session two of the Italian Grand Prix. Russell also served a notice of intent ahead of Sunday's race, aiming to close the 59-point gap to his teammate Kimi Antolin.

Despite the strong performances of his rivals, Russell expressed satisfaction with the car's handling, stating, "There's still some work ahead of us as our competitors look strong, but so far the feeling with the car was solid." Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished second in session two, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton was fifth.

McLaren's reigning world champion Lando Norris was fourth, and Oscar Piastri, who will start from the back of the grid due to engine penalties, was sixth. Norris, who has won the past two races, expressed that the pace needs to improve before Sunday's race. Alpine's Pierre Gasly was stripped of his third-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix and reinstated to third following successful appeals by two Formula 1 teams. Gasly dropped to seventh after five-second penalties were applied for speeding infractions.