George Russell has put Mercedes firmly in the mix at Monza by topping Friday's second practice session at the 2026 Italian Grand Prix. The Briton clocked a 1:22.559 to edge Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by just 0.120 seconds, with both drivers running the soft C5 Pirelli tyres. It was a solid showing for Mercedes after Andrea Kimi Antonelli had earlier threatened to lead the session, and it suggests the silver arrows could be a genuine threat to Ferrari's home advantage this weekend.

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The real trouble on Friday belonged to Red Bull. Max Verstappen was visibly frustrated when he took over his RB22 from reserve driver Ayumu Iwasa, immediately complaining about a lack of downforce and grip even on Monza's high-speed layout. Things didn't improve much as the session progressed. Verstappen compared his grip in the low-speed turns to "driving on ice" and eventually finished in P9, still trailing Oliver Bearman's Haas. The situation got worse for the team when Liam Lawson, deputising for injured Isack Hadjar, slipped down to P12 despite showing promise earlier and finishing P4 in FP1.

Lawson had actually been on the pace in the opening session, even outrunning Verstappen despite complaining about Red Bull's engine holding him back. But come FP2, he couldn't maintain that momentum and found himself trailing further down the order as the session wore on. Red Bull clearly has work to do overnight if they're going to challenge for wins at a track where they've traditionally been competitive.

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The session wasn't without drama either. Lando Norris had to take evasive action when Lance Stroll drifted onto the racing line at Turn 1 while cruising, with Norris labeling the move as dangerous. Andrea Kimi Antonelli also had words for an Audi driver who blocked him at Parabolica, though both incidents were resolved without contact. Overall, it was a promising start for Mercedes and Ferrari, but a concerning one for Red Bull as they hunt answers ahead of qualifying.

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Leclerc had topped the morning session with a 1:23.008 on the medium tyres, holding a Ferrari one-two with Lewis Hamilton, but that advantage evaporated once the soft rubber came out. Russell's pace and consistency suggest Mercedes might just have something special in their hands for this weekend.

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