Follow 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE updates from Free Practice 2 of the 2026 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, as Ferrari looks to maintain its strong home-race pace.
Formula 1 returns to the track at Monza for the second and final practice session of Friday at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix. FP2 is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM IST, giving teams another 60 minutes to fine-tune their cars ahead of Saturday’s qualifying session.
Ferrari enters FP2 with plenty of confidence after Charles Leclerc topped FP1 ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton, giving the Italian team a one-two finish in front of its home crowd. George Russell was third for Mercedes, while Red Bull’s Liam Lawson finished fourth and championship leader Kimi Antonelli was fifth.
The second practice session should provide a much clearer indication of the competitive order, with teams expected to complete longer runs and qualifying-style simulations.
Also Read: 2026 F1 Italian GP Schedule: Monza Race, Qualifying & Full IST Timings
2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: When Does It Start?
Friday, September 4, 2026
- FP2 start: 7:30 PM IST
- FP2 finish: 8:30 PM IST
- Circuit: Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy
- Session duration: 60 minutes
The official Monza schedule lists FP2 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time.
2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE Updates
8:40 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Russell Leads the Way as FP2 Ends
George Russell finished FP2 fastest at 1:22.559, edging Charles Leclerc by just 0.120 seconds. Kimi Antonelli completed the top three for Mercedes, while Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top five.
The full FP2 report and classification can be checked below. Read the full FP2 report on RacingNews365
8:36 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Russell Bites Back at Ferrari in FP2
George Russell hit back at Ferrari during FP2 at Monza, taking P1 at the end of the session and preventing the Scuderia from completing a clean Friday sweep on home soil. Mercedes has clearly shown strong pace heading into the weekend.
8:34 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Full FP2 Results Are In
Free Practice 2 has now concluded at Monza, with George Russell finishing fastest for Mercedes. The complete FP2 classification is available below.
8:33 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Russell Tops FP2
The chequered flag is out at Monza, and George Russell has finished FP2 as the fastest driver.
Mercedes ends Friday on a strong note, with Russell setting the pace ahead of the rest of the field. The result comes after Russell briefly moved ahead of Kimi Antonelli during the soft-tyre runs.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who topped FP1 earlier today, will have to settle for a position behind Russell in FP2.
The teams now turn their attention to Saturday’s FP3 and qualifying, where the competitive order will become even clearer ahead of Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.
8:30 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Antonelli Reports Understeer
Kimi Antonelli is not entirely happy with the balance of his Mercedes during the closing stages of FP2.
The championship leader has reported significant understeer, describing the issue as “unbelievable” over the radio. Mercedes will now have to analyse the feedback and determine whether changes are needed before Saturday’s qualifying session.
Antonelli had been among the fastest drivers during the earlier soft-tyre runs, so his comments will be particularly important as the team evaluates its Monza setup.
8:27 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: FP2 Enters Its Final Minutes
The second practice session at Monza is now entering its closing stages, with just a few minutes remaining.
There has been no major late drama so far, as most drivers have settled into their programmes and are concentrating on gathering long-run data rather than chasing further improvements on the timing screens.
Teams are using these final laps to assess tyre behaviour and race pace ahead of Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.
8:24 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Bortoleto Reports Engine Problem
Gabriel Bortoleto has been forced back into the pits after an apparent engine problem during FP2.
The issue is particularly concerning because Bortoleto is running what is understood to be a new power unit this weekend. His team will now need to investigate the problem while the Brazilian driver loses valuable running time at Monza.
With only a few minutes remaining in FP2, this could limit Bortoleto’s opportunity to complete his planned long-run programme.
8:22 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Drivers Practising The Tow
Several groups of cars are running closely together around Monza during the closing stages of FP2.
With the slipstream effect expected to play an important role during Sunday’s race, drivers appear to be using these laps to understand how much advantage they can gain from following another car on Monza’s long straights.
The teams are also gathering useful data on how closely they can run without compromising tyre performance or overheating.
8:18 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Final 10 Minutes
FP2 is now entering its final phase, with just over 10 minutes remaining at Monza.
The drivers are no longer chasing outright qualifying-style lap times, with most of the field focused on long-run testing instead. Teams are using these final laps to gather valuable data on tyre degradation and race pace ahead of Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.
The current order is therefore unlikely to change significantly unless a driver makes a late push on the soft tyres.
8:13 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Back To Long-Run Testing
The soft-tyre qualifying simulations now appear to be complete, with several drivers switching back to the medium compound.
Teams are moving their focus towards long-run and race simulations, using the remaining FP2 time to understand tyre degradation and race pace ahead of Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.
8:09 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Top 10 After Soft-Tyre Runs
The first major soft-tyre runs are now complete at Monza, giving us a clearer picture of the FP2 order.
Top 10:
- George Russell
- Charles Leclerc
- Kimi Antonelli
- Lando Norris
- Lewis Hamilton
- Oscar Piastri
- Arvid Lindblad
- Max Verstappen
- Yuki Tsunoda
- Franco Colapinto
Mercedes currently holds the top spot with Russell, while Ferrari has Leclerc in second and championship leader Antonelli in third. McLaren has both Norris and Piastri inside the top six.
Verstappen, meanwhile, remains down in eighth after struggling for pace earlier in the session.
8:06 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Verstappen Struggling At Monza
Max Verstappen is currently around 0.8 seconds off the pace, leaving Red Bull with plenty of work to do as FP2 continues.
The Dutchman is currently down in seventh, with Red Bull yet to match the pace being shown by Ferrari and Mercedes on the soft tyres.
8:06 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Hamilton Only Fifth
Lewis Hamilton is currently fifth fastest, more than three-tenths of a second behind Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc.
That’s a notable gap between the two Ferrari drivers, particularly after Hamilton finished second behind Leclerc in FP1.
The Ferrari duo will now be looking to understand the difference as the session moves into its second half.
8:03 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Leclerc Takes P1!
Ferrari is back on top at Monza!
Charles Leclerc has moved to the top of the FP2 timing sheets, continuing Ferrari’s strong pace after the team locked out the top two positions in FP1.
The Monegasque driver has now put Ferrari ahead once again as the field completes its first major wave of soft-tyre runs.
8:02 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Soft-Tyre Runs Arrive
The pace is about to get even quicker at Monza as more drivers begin completing their soft-tyre flying laps.
With several teams yet to show their full qualifying pace, the FP2 leaderboard could change rapidly over the next few minutes.
7:59 PM IST — Russell Responds, Goes P1
George Russell has responded to Kimi Antonelli’s early pace in FP2, putting his Mercedes at the top of the timing screens.
Russell went 0.014 seconds quicker than Antonelli, who had earlier set a 1:22.700 on the soft tyres. The two Mercedes drivers are currently showing strong pace as FP2 progresses at Monza.
With the session moving into faster runs, the battle at the top is beginning to heat up. Ferrari and McLaren will be looking to respond as teams continue their qualifying simulations.
7:56 PM IST — Antonelli Sets The Early Benchmark
Kimi Antonelli has briefly moved to the top of the FP2 timing order with a 1:22.700 lap on the soft tyres.
The Mercedes driver was around half a second clear of team-mate Russell at that point, although Russell has now responded with a quicker lap.
Antonelli’s pace will be particularly interesting given that he is set to start Sunday’s Italian GP from the back of the grid because of his power-unit change.
7:50 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Norris Forced Onto Grass After Stroll Holds Him Up
Lando Norris was forced to take avoiding action during FP2 after encountering a slow-moving Lance Stroll exiting the pits.
The McLaren driver moved onto the grass to avoid the Aston Martin, with the incident highlighting the traffic problems that can quickly develop around Monza’s narrow racing line.
Norris had already complained about traffic earlier in the weekend, and with teams now pushing harder during FP2, finding a clear lap is becoming increasingly important.
7:45 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Verstappen Reports ‘No Downforce’
Max Verstappen is already unhappy with the balance of his Red Bull RB22 during FP2 at Monza.
The four-time world champion has reportedly complained about a lack of downforce, prompting Red Bull to bring him into the pits for a change to the front wing.
With Monza demanding a very low-drag setup, Red Bull will be hoping the adjustment helps Verstappen find a more competitive balance as the session progresses.
7:40 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Track Temperature Nears 57°C
The intense heat is becoming another major factor during FP2 at Monza.
Track temperatures have climbed to nearly 57°C, creating a particularly demanding environment for both the cars and tyres.
The FIA had already declared a heat hazard for this weekend because ambient temperatures are forecast to exceed 31°C. Teams have therefore been given the option of using driver cooling systems during the event.
7:36 PM IST —
7:34 PM IST — FP2 Is Underway
Free Practice 2 is officially underway at Monza. Several drivers have already headed onto the track as teams begin their second 60-minute session of the Italian Grand Prix weekend.
Ferrari enters FP2 with the advantage after Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton topped FP1 with a Ferrari one-two. Mercedes’ George Russell was third, followed by Liam Lawson and championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
With teams now gathering more representative data, attention will turn to whether Ferrari can maintain its advantage or Mercedes and McLaren can close the gap during the second session.
7:18 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: FP2 About To Begin
We are just minutes away from the start of second practice at Monza.
Ferrari has the early advantage after Leclerc and Hamilton finished FP1 first and second. The big question now is whether Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull can close the gap during the longer second session.
7:15 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Ferrari Has Early Momentum
Charles Leclerc’s FP1 benchmark was 1:23.008, with Hamilton only 0.173 seconds behind. Russell was another 0.131 seconds behind Hamilton in third.
Ferrari’s engine upgrade appears to have delivered encouraging performance at Monza, although FP2 should give rivals a better opportunity to respond.
7:10 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Antonelli’s Difficult Weekend Continues
Kimi Antonelli arrives at his home Grand Prix as the 2026 championship leader, holding a 59-point advantage over Hamilton and Russell.
However, an engine-related penalty means he is expected to start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid regardless of where he qualifies. Antonelli finished FP1 fifth fastest.
That makes his long-run pace in FP2 particularly important.
7:05 PM IST — 2026 F1 Italian GP FP2 LIVE: Major FIA Development Before FP2
There has also been a major off-track development today involving the Monaco Grand Prix result.
The FIA International Court of Appeal has reinstated Pierre Gasly’s two five-second penalties from Monaco, meaning his podium finish has been removed and Isack Hadjar is restored to third place. The decision followed appeals from McLaren and Red Bull.
The ruling also affects championship points and the constructors’ standings.
7:00 PM IST — Welcome To Our FP2 Live Blog
Welcome to our live coverage of Free Practice 2 for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix.
Monza is one of the fastest circuits on the F1 calendar, with its long straights putting a major emphasis on low drag and straight-line performance. The circuit is 5.793 km long and Sunday’s race will run for 53 laps.
Ferrari will be hoping its FP1 advantage carries into the second session, while Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull will be looking to find more performance before qualifying.
What To Watch During FP2
Ferrari vs Mercedes: Leclerc and Hamilton set the pace in FP1, but Russell was only 0.304 seconds off Leclerc.
Kimi Antonelli: With a back-of-grid penalty already looming, every lap of long-run data will be valuable for the championship leader.
McLaren response: Lando Norris could only manage sixth in FP1, while Oscar Piastri finished outside the top 10, leaving plenty of room for improvement.
Red Bull: Liam Lawson was fourth in FP1, while Red Bull will be looking to understand its race pace over longer runs.
Monza setup: The circuit rewards low-drag configurations, so teams will be balancing straight-line speed with enough stability for Monza’s heavy braking zones.
Raj Prajapati is a Senior Automotive Content Writer at AutoIndiaDaily. A B.Tech graduate in Computer Science and Engineering, he leverages over four years of experience covering Indian car and bike launches, EV tech, and market dynamics to break down complex automotive regulations into simple consumer guides. Specialising in Indian motor vehicle laws, IRDAI updates, and ownership costs, Raj translates technical auto policies into actionable advice for everyday drivers.