Lewis Hamilton was at the centre of a tense moment in Saturday's third and final free practice for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, coming within centimetres of a collision with Max Verstappen as George Russell posted the fastest time for Mercedes.
Final session sees late fireworks
George Russell set the pace in the closing practice session with a fastest lap of 1:22.219, finishing 0.226 seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton. Max Verstappen was third in the order, while Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli — who leads the championship by 59 points — completed the top four.
The session boiled over in the final moments when Hamilton and Verstappen found themselves in close proximity through Monza's first chicane. Television pictures and team radio captured Hamilton forced onto an escape road after Verstappen launched his Red Bull underneath the Ferrari, echoing memories of their acrimonious 2021 title fight.
“I got blocked by Max,” Hamilton said over the radio. “Yeah, he caused that,” Verstappen replied on Red Bull's intercom.
The near-contact occurred as drivers pushed for quick runs in mock-qualifying conditions. With temperatures expected to rise for the official qualifying session later in the afternoon, teams used the final practice to attempt slipstreaming and to assess high-speed set-up on the long Monza straights.
Championship context and grid ramifications
Antonelli goes into qualifying with a complication: after taking penalties for power-unit changes, he is set to start Sunday's race from the back of the grid regardless of where he qualifies. That situation leaves Russell and Hamilton free to hunt for the best possible starting positions while Antonelli's championship advantage is preserved despite the sanction.
Monday's practice running suggested a tight fight among the leading teams. Lando Norris was fifth for McLaren, roughly four-tenths off Russell's best time, followed by Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari. Rookie Arvid Lindblad put Racing Bulls in a strong showing ahead of Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren.
- Pole potential: Russell heads into qualifying as a favourite after topping both Friday and Saturday sessions.
- Tension: Hamilton and Verstappen's tussle revived memories of past title battles and adds an extra layer of drama ahead of qualifying.
- Grid penalty: Antonelli will start from the back due to power-unit changes, altering strategic considerations for Mercedes and rivals.
The top order from final practice, as recorded at the end of the session, was as follows:
| Position | Driver | Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Russell (Mercedes) | 1:22.219 |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) | +0.226 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen (Red Bull) | — |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) | +0.361 |
| 5 | Lando Norris (McLaren) | ~+0.4 |
| 6 | Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) | — |
| 7 | Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) | — |
| 8 | Oscar Piastri (McLaren) | — |
Qualifying at Monza is due to take place later on Saturday, with teams and drivers expected to face higher track temperatures than during Friday practice. The combination of slipstreams on the long straights and warm asphalt often produces tightly packed lap times, raising the stakes for any on-track incident.
For Hamilton, the near-miss will sharpen focus ahead of qualifying: the seven-time world champion sits in the thick of a title fight where every session and strategic decision carries weight. For Monza, a circuit famed as the "Temple of Speed", the closing practice reinforced that high-speed drama can arrive at any moment — and that the championship battle remains far from settled.
