Lando Norris Tops Final Italian GP Practice Ahead of Leclerc, Verstappen

Lando Norris continued his strong form at the 2025 Italian Grand Prix by topping both the second and final practice sessions at Monza, narrowly beating Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and championship leader Oscar Piastri. Norris, trailing Piastri by 34 points in the championship, posted a best lap of 1:19.331 in the final practice, with Leclerc just 0.021 seconds behind and Piastri 0.165 seconds adrift. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, making his Italian GP debut with the team, showed promise by setting the fastest lap in the first practice but was only seventh fastest in the final session, expressing the need for "more juice" and speed. The sessions were marked by a red flag caused by Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli spinning off at Lesmo 2, ending his practice early. Max Verstappen and George Russell rounded out the top five in final practice, with McLaren aiming for their sixth consecutive win and potentially an eighth one-two finish of the season. Qualifying later on Saturday will set the grid for Sunday's race at the famed 'Temple of Speed,' with McLaren eager to close the points gap in the championship fight.