MONZA, Italy: Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc delighted the Ferrari fans with a surprise one-two in first practice for the Italian Formula One team’s home grand prix at Monza on Friday.
Making his first appearance at Monza in Ferrari red, seven-times world champion and five-times Italian GP winner Hamilton lapped the super-fast ‘Pista Magica’ with a best time of one minute 20.117 seconds.
Leclerc, last year’s winner, was 0.169 slower with former Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz — the man Hamilton replaced in January after moving from Mercedes — third for Williams but 0.533 off the pace.
Hamilton has yet to stand on the podium for Ferrari and Friday’s opening session, held in bright sunshine at the ‘Temple of Motorsport’, was a boost after the team’s double blank in the Netherlands last weekend when both cars crashed.
Hamilton will have a five-place grid penalty for Sunday, however, after it was carried over from Zandvoort.
Red Bull’s four-times world champion Max Verstappen was fourth fastest ahead of Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli for Mercedes.
McLaren’s title contender Lando Norris was sixth after a trip through the gravel, with championship-leading teammate Oscar Piastri sitting out the session while Irish Formula Two driver Alex Dunne took his place and ended up 16th.
Alex Albon was seventh fastest for Williams with Mercedes’ George Russell — who lost power and pulled over toward the end — eighth and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso ninth with Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar completing the top 10.
French rookie Hadjar, third last weekend for his first career podium in Formula One, triggered a red flag when he went off at the Ascari Chicane with 25 minutes to go and scattered gravel across the track.
Alpine had Estonian reserve driver Paul Aron replacing Argentina’s Franco Colapinto for the session and he finished last.
Runaway leaders McLaren are chasing a sixth win in a row on Sunday, with Piastri 34 points clear of Norris after 15 of 24 rounds. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ken Ferris)
Hamilton leads Ferrari one-two in first Monza practice
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Hamilton leads Ferrari one-two in first Monza practice
- Hamilton lapped the super-fast ‘Pista Magica’ with a best time of one minute 20.117 seconds
- Leclerc, last year’s winner, was 0.169 slower with former Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz
Man City beats Newcastle 3-1 to advance to English League Cup final
- Both City and Arsenal are still in contention for a clean sweep of trophies this season
MANCHESTER, England: It’s Manchester City vs. Arsenal in the English League Cup final.
The current top two in the Premier League will go head-to-head at Wembley Stadium next month after City beat Newcastle 3-1 on Wednesday to complete a 5-1 win on aggregate in the semifinals.
Both City and Arsenal are still in contention for a clean sweep of trophies this season. The League Cup is the chance to lift the first piece of major silverware this term and to potentially inflict a psychological blow in the race for the title.
“We’re here to win trophies and we give our best every day to reach these finals and win the silverware,” City forward Omar Marmoush — who scored two goals on the night — told Sky Sports.
Arsenal currently leads the standings by six points ahead of second-place City. Both teams are through to the round of 16 in the Champions League and and fourth round of the FA Cup.
The League Cup final is on March 22.
“It’s a pleasure to play against Arsenal, the best team right now in Europe, maybe the world,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “As much (as) we (can) play against them, it will make us a better, better team.”
Two first-half goals from Marmoush at the Etihad effectively finished off Newcastle in a semifinal where City led 2-0 from the first leg. Tijjani Reijnders added another before the break.
Newcastle scored a consolation through substitute Anthony Elanga and prevented what looked like being a rout after the first 45 minutes.
Arsenal booked its place in the final with a 1-0 win against Chelsea on Tuesday to seal a 4-2 aggregate victory.
A growing rivalry
The final will continue the recent rivalry between the clubs, which has seen City beat Arsenal to the title in 2023 and ‘24. On both occasions Arsenal had led the way before being overhauled.
Mikel Arteta’s team is ahead again this season and aiming to win the title for the first time since 2004.
The League Cup would be Arteta’s first major trophy since his debut season as Arsenal manager when he won the FA Cup in 2020.
He was formerly Pep Guardiola’s assistant at City and victory in the final would see him finally beat his former colleague to a major trophy.
Guardiola, meanwhile, will get the chance to win a 16th major trophy since taking over at City in 2016 and his fifth League Cup.
City is looking to win it for the ninth time and move within one of Liverpool’s record haul of 10 in the competition.
Arsenal has won the trophy twice — most recently in 1993.
This year’s final will be a repeat of 2018, when Arteta was part of Guardiola’s coaching team as City triumphed.
Marmoush double
Marmoush bundled in City’s opener in the seventh minute when Dan Burn’s tackle rebounded off the Egypt international and into the net.
His second came from another defensive error in the 29th when Kieran Trippier’s attempted clearance looped up for Marmoush to head in from close range.
Reijnders drove home the third from inside the box three minutes later.
Elanga’s goal came in the 62nd and Newcastle had chances to score more.
