MONZA: Carlos Sainz made sure Ferrari were fastest in both of Friday’s practice runs at the Italian Grand Prix by topping the times in the second session at Monza.

Spaniard Sainz posted a fastest time of one minute and 21.664 seconds, finishing 0.143sec ahead of championship leader Max Verstappen who is hunting his first ever win at the Temple of Speed. Red Bull’s Verstappen was hit with a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s race for taking on his fifth engine of the season.

Sainz’s Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, who trails Verstappen in the driver’s standings by 109 points, finished 0.193sec off the pace in third.

The Monegasque was fastest in the first session of the day and Verstappen’s grid penalty has boosted his chances of claiming his second win at Monza after triumphing at the Italian track in 2019. Verstappen is one of six drivers to be hit with sanctions alongside team-mate Sergio Perez — who drops back 10 places for a similar offence — Lewis Hamilton, Sainz, Valtteri Bottas and Yuki Tsunoda.

Seven-time champion Hamilton is yet to win a GP this season and will start at the back of the grid for a power unit change and other engine infractions.

Sainz will start just ahead of the Mercedes driver and Tsunoda after being handed a 25-place penalty for new gearbox components.

Published in Dawn, September 10th, 2022