The 2026 Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix kicks off on Saturday, 19 September, at the historic Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Friday’s programme, confirmed by autohebdof1.com, features a three‑hour free‑practice window (09:30‑12:30 IST) followed by a 30‑minute qualifying session for the sprint race (14:00‑14:30 IST). The sprint qualifying will decide the grid for the sprint race on Saturday, while the main Grand Prix qualifying is slated for Sunday morning.
Crash.net reported the results of the first free‑practice session (FP1) held on Friday morning. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen posted the fastest lap of 1:19.842, edging out his teammate Sergio Pérez by just 0.12 seconds. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third fastest, signalling that the home team is back in contention after a mixed start to the season. Mercedes struggled to find pace, with Lewis Hamilton qualifying in eighth place.
Motorsport.com added that the track temperature hovered around 28 °C (82 °F) and that the high‑downforce setup favored teams with strong aerodynamic packages. The report highlighted that the new tyre compounds supplied by Pirelli – the C3 (hard), C4 (medium) and C5 (soft) – performed within expected degradation windows, giving teams a clear data set for the sprint qualifying later in the day.
For Indian fans, the Friday schedule translates to a convenient viewing window on FanCode: the practice session starts at 09:30 IST and the sprint qualifying at 14:00 IST. Both events will be streamed live, with commentary in English and Hindi. The sprint race on Saturday will follow at 13:00 IST, and the main Grand Prix on Sunday will begin at 12:30 IST, allowing Indian viewers to catch the action without overnight hours.
Monza’s high‑speed layout traditionally rewards low‑drag setups, and the early practice times suggest Red Bull may have the edge heading into the sprint. However, Ferrari’s strong showing at home could turn the tide, especially if they can optimise tyre wear for the sprint qualifying. With the championship still wide open, the Italian round promises to be a pivotal weekend for the title fight.
Source: Crash.net
