Russell Tops Final Practice at Monza as Mercedes Stakes Its Claim Before Qualifying

George Russell set the pace in FP3 for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix, confirming Mercedes as one of the clear pole contenders at Monza. Lewis Hamilton was second for Ferrari, Max Verstappen recovered to third, while Gabriel Bortoleto again struggled to unlock the soft tyre and finished 13th after Audi experimented with slipstreaming and setup changes.

By Open Chronicle News Desk with Agencies

George Russell completed practice for the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at the top of the timesheets, setting the fastest lap in FP3 at Monza and reinforcing Mercedes’ status as one of the leading forces heading into qualifying.

Russell produced a best time of 1:22.219, finishing 0.226 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton and 0.350 seconds clear of Max Verstappen.

Kimi Antonelli was fourth, Lando Norris fifth and Charles Leclerc sixth, with Arvid Lindblad again impressing in seventh.

Oscar Piastri, Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto completed the top 10.

Gabriel Bortoleto finished 13th after showing stronger pace on the medium tyre before once again struggling to extract the expected performance from the soft compound.

Mercedes Carries Friday Momentum Into Saturday

Russell had already ended Friday fastest in FP2.

Saturday morning brought confirmation that the pace was not isolated.

The Mercedes looked competitive throughout FP3 despite track temperatures of approximately 49°C, conditions that can traditionally expose weaknesses in tyre management and balance.

Russell nevertheless remained comfortable.

Mercedes had also shown strong long run pace on Friday, giving the team reason to believe its advantage was not limited to qualifying simulations.

With the final hour of preparation complete, Russell enters qualifying as one of the most credible pole favourites.

Heat Remains a Major Factor

Monza once again greeted the field with extreme track temperatures.

The asphalt sat close to 49°C, placing significant emphasis on tyre preparation and thermal control.

At a circuit dominated by heavy braking zones, kerb usage and long flat out sections, the heat adds another layer of difficulty.

Drivers need to generate enough tyre temperature for the opening sector without overheating the rear axle across the rest of the lap.

That challenge was particularly visible in the different tyre behaviour across the field.

Bortoleto Starts Early

Bortoleto was one of the first drivers to head onto the circuit.

Audi used the opening phase to conduct installation checks before the Brazilian returned to the garage.

The team had already experienced several technical interruptions during the season and was keen to verify that both cars were operating normally before beginning meaningful running.

Gasly, Colapinto and Carlos Sainz were among the first drivers to begin recording representative times.

Colapinto initially moved ahead with 1:24.733 before improving to 1:23.766.

Albon encountered trouble before establishing his programme, reporting steering difficulty and returning to the Williams garage.

Antonelli and Leclerc Move to the Front

As the leading teams joined the circuit, the order began changing rapidly.

Antonelli moved to the top with 1:23.032.

Leclerc followed with 1:23.250.

The tyre difference was important.

Both were already using soft tyres, while Verstappen, Colapinto, Lawson, Gasly and Bortoleto were still working on mediums.

Bortoleto initially recorded 1:24.309, enough for eighth at that point.

The early comparison with Hülkenberg was positive.

The Brazilian was approximately three to four tenths quicker than his teammate.

Audi Experiments With the Tow

Monza qualifying is always shaped by slipstreaming.

Audi used FP3 to rehearse that process.

Hülkenberg provided Bortoleto with a tow on one of his flying laps, helping the Brazilian improve to 1:23.893.

The exercise was repeated.

This time Bortoleto found more performance and recorded 1:23.561, moving as high as sixth.

The lap was particularly encouraging because it came on medium tyres.

Among the drivers using that compound during the same phase, Bortoleto ranked among the quickest.

Audi’s problem was not medium tyre performance.

The unresolved question remained the soft.

Traffic Starts to Build

FP3 also provided a preview of the traffic problems likely to dominate qualifying.

Drivers searching for space and slipstreams created large speed differentials across the lap.

Lawson lost the rear through the second part of the opening chicane and spun, briefly facing the wrong direction before recovering.

Hamilton also had a difficult early phase and touched the gravel between the Lesmo corners.

Neither incident caused a major stoppage.

Mercedes and Ferrari Rehearse Qualifying Tactics

Audi was not the only team practising slipstream strategies.

Mercedes and Ferrari both began simulating possible qualifying procedures.

Antonelli is carrying a grid penalty related to power unit components, making him particularly useful as a potential tow provider for Russell.

Mercedes used the Italian in that role during FP3.

The approach worked.

Russell moved to the top with 1:22.687.

Ferrari performed similar exercises.

Hamilton gave Leclerc a tow.

Leclerc later returned the favour.

Hamilton improved first to 1:23.111, then to 1:23.040.

Leclerc reduced his own time to 1:22.913.

The session was becoming increasingly representative of what teams may attempt in qualifying.

Qualifying Simulations Begin

With around 20 minutes remaining, the field began moving onto new soft tyres.

Russell lowered the benchmark again.

The Mercedes driver produced 1:22.463.

Verstappen followed with 1:22.790 without a tow, a useful reference given the importance of slipstream at Monza.

Antonelli also completed an untowed effort and recorded 1:22.696.

Then the remainder of the field began its final soft tyre runs.

For Bortoleto, this was the crucial phase.

Bortoleto Again Struggles on Softs

The Brazilian had been competitive on mediums.

The concern was whether Audi had solved the soft tyre issue that had already compromised his FP2.

Hülkenberg found a clear improvement.

The German produced 1:23.126, jumping from 17th to eighth at that stage.

Bortoleto also improved, but not by enough.

His 1:23.319 initially moved him to ninth.

The internal comparison had flipped.

Bortoleto had been quicker on mediums.

Hülkenberg now held the advantage on softs.

That was a concerning pattern for Audi because qualifying would revolve around extracting the maximum from the soft compound.

The Field Tightens

Several midfield runners then began finding significant time.

Colapinto produced 1:23.101.

Lindblad delivered another strong lap with 1:22.724.

Leclerc improved to 1:22.708.

Norris recorded 1:22.774.

Hamilton was also on a promising lap but made an error and lost the attempt.

As rivals improved, both Audis slipped down the order.

The expected soft tyre gain had not materialised strongly enough for Bortoleto.

Audi Changes the Setup

Bortoleto made a brief return to the pits.

Audi adjusted the wing angle in an attempt to improve the car for the final run.

The goal was clear.

The team wanted to find additional rotation through the chicanes without sacrificing too much straight line speed.

At Monza, that compromise is delicate.

More front wing can improve turn in.

Too much wing costs speed on the straights.

Audi was searching for the final balance.

Russell Extends His Advantage

The final minutes became increasingly busy.

Verstappen improved to 1:22.569.

Hamilton also found more pace.

Piastri moved initially to 1:23.022.

Norris improved without changing position.

Bortoleto also found some time after the setup adjustment, but not enough to transform his session.

Russell then confirmed his advantage with a final benchmark of 1:22.219.

It was the fastest lap of FP3.

Russell and Piastri Have a Traffic Scare

Traffic produced another tense moment before the chequered flag.

Russell impeded Piastri at Turn 6 while the McLaren driver was on a flying lap.

The speed difference brought the two cars uncomfortably close.

Race control reviewed the incident for possible impeding but decided no further investigation was necessary.

After the flag, several drivers still completed representative laps.

Gasly improved to 1:22.898.

Piastri reached 1:22.773.

Neither threatened Russell.

Mercedes Looks Ready for Qualifying

Russell had now topped both FP2 and FP3.

That made Mercedes the clearest reference entering qualifying.

Antonelli’s fourth place added further evidence of strong underlying pace.

The interesting question concerns the championship leader’s grid penalty.

That penalty may change Mercedes’ qualifying priorities significantly.

Antonelli can still chase a fast lap, but he may also be used strategically to provide Russell with a tow.

At Monza, that could be decisive.

Ferrari Remains Close

Hamilton’s second place ensured Ferrari remained firmly in the fight.

Leclerc was sixth but had shown competitive pace throughout the weekend.

Ferrari had led FP1.

Mercedes had led FP2 and FP3.

The balance between the two teams remains close.

McLaren also stayed within range, even if Norris and Piastri did not top any practice session on Saturday.

Red Bull’s picture improved.

Verstappen recovered to third after a difficult Friday.

The leading four teams therefore all enter qualifying with reasons for optimism.

FP3 Classification, 2026 Italian Grand Prix

What FP3 Tells Us Before Qualifying

Russell is the obvious benchmark.

He has topped the final two practice sessions.

Mercedes appears fast over both a single lap and longer runs.

Ferrari remains close enough to challenge.

Hamilton’s second place and Leclerc’s consistent speed suggest the Scuderia should be part of the pole fight in front of the Tifosi.

Verstappen’s third place represents an important recovery for Red Bull.

McLaren remains difficult to dismiss.

Norris and Piastri are close enough that even a small improvement in tow execution or tyre preparation could transform their qualifying positions.

The most uncertain picture belongs to Audi.

Bortoleto’s medium tyre pace was encouraging.

His soft tyre pace was not.

The Brazilian repeatedly benefited from the tow and looked competitive on the yellow compound, but when the decisive soft tyre simulations arrived, the expected gain was missing.

Audi attempted wing changes late in the session, but the final improvement remained limited.

That leaves the team with one of the clearest technical questions heading into qualifying.

Can Bortoleto make the soft tyre work when it matters?

For the leaders, the question is even simpler.

Can anyone stop George Russell?