For Lewis Hamilton, the position was not a new experience in Monza: first. The record world champion in Formula 1 had no particular eye for the leadership position early on Friday evening. Anyone who has won a Grand Prix five times on the high-speed track, like only Michael Schumacher before him, knows how to view the results after training on Friday as a fleeting impression. The Mercedes seems fast over one lap. But the result of the training in the Royal Park of Monza can be less extrapolated than usual, at least for the qualifying on Saturday (4 p.m. Sky/RTL). Because Kevin Magnussen interrupted the hunt for the best time over a tour with his Haas than others with the The softest, best gripping tires were on the way. The Haas was stuck in the barrier at the end of the second Lesmo corner after a driving error. Where is world champion Verstappen? The Dane climbed out of his car uninjured but disgruntled. For him the party was over. For the others, the twelve-minute break largely led to a change in the program: an endurance test instead of a sprint. And so there was a partly unusual, although explainable, pecking order: Behind Hamilton, Lando Norris appeared second in the McLaren (0.003 seconds behind), followed by Carlos Sainz (Ferrari/0.120) and Oscar Piastri in the second McLaren (0.154). Nothing special so far. But where is the world champion, Verstappen? Thirteenth ahead of his teammate Sergio Pérez. Because the champion hadn’t dared to do anything before Magnussen’s crash. But the Dutchman liked one thing: his Grand Prix simulation gives hope for the race on Sunday. Verstappen impressed with the best average lap times, although only just ahead of McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes. “The car seems to be more predictable again,” said Red Bull’s sports director Helmut Marko to the TV channel Sky, “we recently had understeer that changed into oversteer and back, which also had an impact on tire wear.” There is new asphalt it was significantly higher than expected. “It’s darker, blacker, harder, so the wear is higher,” explained Mario Isola, head of motorsport at tire supplier Pirelli. Given the expected track temperature of 52 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the Italian is expecting a two-stop strategy. Grands Prix with one stop are more common in the Royal Park. The potential variant opens up the opportunity to influence the course of the race with clever tactics. Overtaking maneuvers are easily possible on the three long straights. The use of the safety car in Monza is more likely because the drivers sometimes brake in front of the chicanes after a rush at up to 344 kilometers per hour (on Friday with less fuel in the tank). Just stepping on the pedal one meter after the optimal braking point is enough to miss the bend or drive up, including cold deformation. “We seem to have to go to the limit with the tires,” said Williams team boss James Vowles, “it can quickly make a mistake “The former Mercedes engineer had in mind the accident of Kimi Antonelli, Hamilton’s potential replacement at Mercedes next year. The Italian was allowed to drive George Russell’s car in the first training session on Friday to get used to his future task. On the sixth lap it was over after approaching the Parabolica corner too quickly. The Silver Arrow was hanging halfway to pieces in the track barrier. With his head bowed, Antonelli reported back to the pits and asked for forgiveness. “That happens,” said team boss Toto Wolff, “his first laps were amazing (quick/ed.).” Russell viewed the destruction of his company car with a frugal demeanor. He only made his first tours in the repaired Mercedes 22 minutes after the start of the second training session. And was the last to dare to run on the soft tires. He pushed Nico Hülkenberg (Haas) from sixth to seventh place.More on the topicAfter Antonelli, the second novice in the Formula 1 cockpit at least avoided cold deformation of his Williams after a braking error in front of the Parabolica arch: Franco Colapinto swept over the gravel bed and came without any visible damage. In the second round, the Argentinian only needed 0.2 seconds longer to complete his park lap than his established teammate Alex Albon. A good debut that team boss Vowles felt he had to justify again. Because the promotion of the young pilot from our own academy prevented the engagement of the much more experienced and successful Mick Schumacher. In his statement to journalists on Friday morning, Vowles called him a “not special” pilot. “The choice of words was strange, I would like to apologize to Mick for that,” he said, coming specifically for the statement to the German branch of Sky: “By special I meant multiple world champions like Hamilton.” Or like Mick’s father, Michael Schumacher. The racing teams fought over both of them. Schumacher Jr. There is only one chance left to continue his career in Formula 1. Audi, majority owner of Sauber, still has a place to fill.
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