Italian F1 Grand Prix 2019 Qualifying: Results, Times from Friday's Practice

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc topped the standings in both practice sessions at a rain-disrupted Formula One Italian Grand Prix on Friday.

Steady rainfall at the start of the first session and a wet track prevented the drivers from pushing too hard early. Kimi Raikkonen and Sergio Perez both crashed to bring out red flags, while there were a number of spins.

Eventually, racing conditions improved and the stronger teams were able to show their pace, triggering a flurry of lead changes in the final stages. Leclerc eventually did enough to finish on top, pipping McLaren duo Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris. Lewis Hamilton was fourth in his Mercedes.

With more light rain in the second session, Mercedes turned their focus to racing simulations, and Leclerc was once again the fastest man on track.

FP2 Recap

Here are the timesheets from the second practice session:

FP2 got off to a fast start, with the teams trying to make up for the difficulties of the first session. Trains started to form within minutes of the start, but so did the clouds, with new rain arriving after just 15 minutes.

Leclerc was able to set his fastest time on the soft tyres before pitting, while team-mate Sebastian Vettel was one of the drivers who was a little too aggressive near the gravel trap. It led to too much debris on Monza, and the red flag came out to clear it:

Teams had to choose between intermediate tyres and slicks, with parts of the track not suited for the faster compound. It meant fast running was mostly off the table, and Mercedes were among the teams opting to run race simulations.

Norris struggled with mechanical issues and found the time to tweet from the paddock in the middle of the session:

The 19-year-old Briton got back out with 20 minutes left, at which point Max Verstappen had already switched to the medium tyres for his race simulations.

Hamilton started to follow Vettel around the track late in the session, testing how much of an effect the tow provided. It proved to be highly effective around all parts of the track, opening the door for a tactical race on Sunday.

Ferrari positioned themselves to be favourites in qualifying on Saturday, but Sunday's race could be a wide-open affair, as Mercedes hold the advantage in the slower corners.

FP1 Recap

Here are the final standings from a disrupted first practice in Monza:

Per Daniella Matar of the Associated Press, a number of drivers were displaying tributes to F2 driver Anthoine Hubert, who died in a crash at the Belgian Grand Prix last weekend:

With the wet track in mind, it was no surprise to see the majority of cars hang fire in the initial stages of the session. When cars did begin to file out of the garages, it was easy to see why there had been some tentativeness. 

The circuit was clearly slippery and the first driver to fall foul of the conditions was Raikkonen in his Alfa Romeo. With his car up against the barriers, the Finn's misfortune caused a red flag:

Raikkonen wasn't the only man to be caught out by a challenging track, with Perez losing control of his Force India at Ascari, spinning off line and clattering into the barriers:

After another red flag, it was not a shock to see another lull in the session, as the teams assessed the conditions. When the track did eventually start to dry, some of the bigger names made their way out to get accustomed with the circuit.

Leclerc initially jumped to the top of the timesheet, although he was quickly usurped by the Mercedes duo, with Valtteri Bottas taking top spot.

In the dying embers, a number of drivers pumped in some quicker laps on the soft- and medium-tyre compounds, giving the order a late shakeup. Leclerc was able to benefit from track position and snatch top spot from Sainz after time expired.