{
  "id": 5561313,
  "title": "Leclerc on top as Ferrari take 1-2 in Monza opening practice",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/leclerc-on-top-as-ferrari-take-1-2-in-monza-opening-practice-5561313",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-04T12:27:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/sports/2026/09/04/leclerc-on-top-as-ferrari-take-1-2-in-monza-opening-practice"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ferrari showcased their upgraded engines during the opening practice at the iconic Monza circuit, delighting their fans. Charles Leclerc emerged victorious, finishing ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton in a dominant 1-2. Leclerc set the fastest lap with a time of 1:23.008, narrowly edging out the seven-time champion by just 0.173 seconds. Mercedes' George Russell trailed by a significant margin in third. Championship leader Kimi Antolinli secured the fifth spot for Mercedes, while McLaren's world champion Lando Norris finished ahead of his teammate Oscar Piastri, who came in 11th. Despite a potential advantage due to a Mercedes engine penalty, Hamilton trails Italian driver Leclerc by 59 points in the title race. Four rookies participated in the practice session, with Ayuma Iwasa replacing Max Verstappen at Red Bull, Luke Browning taking Alex Albon's place at Williams, Paul Aron stepping into Pierre Gasly's slot at Alpine, and Colton Herta filling Sergio Perez's position at Cadillac. Meanwhile, the International Court of Appeal's decision overturning the Monaco Grand Prix outcome led to adjustments in the drivers' standings. Gasly, who had finished third, saw his penalties reinstated, dropping him to seventh place and replacing Hadjar.",
  "summary": "Charles Leclerc clocked the fastest lap of one minute and 23.008 seconds to outpace seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton by 0.173 seconds.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Leclerc on top as Ferrari take 1-2 in Monza opening practice",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/leclerc-on-top-as-ferrari-take-1-2-in-monza-opening-practice",
        "published": "2026-09-04T12:27:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "SABC News",
        "title": "Leclerc leads Ferrari one-two in first Monza practice",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/leclerc-leads-ferrari-one-two-in-first-monza-practice",
        "published": "2026-09-04T13:13:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Leclerc on top as Ferrari take 1-2 in Monza opening practice",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/leclerc-on-top-as-ferrari-take-1-2-in-monza-opening-practice-5568639",
        "published": "2026-09-04T13:22:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}