Max Verstappen tops first Italian GP practice after Kimi Antonelli shunt
Max Verstappen tops FP1 as Kimi Antonelli suffers big crash in F1 practice debut.
Max Verstappen set the pace in opening practice at the F1 Italian Grand Prix following a big crash for Mercedes junior Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
Antonelli’s highly-rated F1 practice debut was less than 10 minutes old when he went spinning off at Parabolica and suffered a heavy crash in George Russell’s Mercedes.
The 18-year-old Italian, who is expected to replace Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton for 2025, was unhurt in the incident which red-flagged FP1 but managed just five laps.
Charles Leclerc was second-fastest in his upgraded Ferrari, 0.228s down on Verstappen, with Lando Norris, the winner of last weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, third for McLaren, 0.241s adrift.
Carlos Sainz was fourth in the other Ferrari, ahead of Valtteri Bottas, who set an eye-catching time to finish fifth for Sauber.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was sixth, ahead of seven-time world champion Hamilton, Williams’ Alex Albon, Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso.
Several drivers had similar snaps to Antonelli at the final corner, which has been resurfaced, but avoided a repeat of his accident.
F1 debutant Franco Colapinto, who has replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams, took a trip through the gravel but managed to avoid the barriers on his way to 17th.
