Pirelli F1 Italian Grand-Prix practice sessions 01.09.2017: - Mercedes fastest in both free practice sessions, using supersoft tyres to go quickest

- Mercedes fastest in both free practice sessions, using supersoft tyres to go quickest

- Gap between supersoft and soft is currently around 0.7 seconds: FP2 times nearly a second and a half faster than last year

- Some rain in the morning did not affect track evolution, but slick tyres still used throughout the day
 
 


Mercedes topped both free practice sessions at Monza on the supersoft tyre, with Valtteri Bottas setting fastest time of the day in FP2, while Lewis Hamilton went quickest in FP1.



 The best time from Bottas in the afternoon was nearly a second and half faster than the equivalent session last year, using the same tyres.



Some rain fell towards the end of FP1 with no effect on track evolution.


Currently, the gap between the soft and supersoft tyres is just over half a second.



MARIO ISOLA - HEAD OF CAR RACING



“As we expected, there’s not been a significant increase in overall speeds at Monza, as the new 2017 regulations accentuate cornering performance rather than top speed, and this circuit is most about the straights.



However, the fastest time in FP2 was still nearly a second a half faster than the equivalent session last year, using the same tyre compounds.



 Initial indications suggest that this could be a one-stop race, with only a small difference between the compounds leading to quite a wide pit stop window.”



FREE PRACTICE 1 – TOP 3 TIMES


Hamilton 1m21.537s SUPERSOFT NEW
Bottas 1m21.972s SUPERSOFT NEW
Vettel 1m22.652s SUPERSOFT

FREE PRACTICE 2 – TOP 3 TIMES


Bottas 1m21.406s SUPERSOFT NEW
Hamilton 1m21.462sSUPERSOFT NEW
Vettel 1m21.546s SUPERSOFT NEW


MOST LAPS BY COMPOUNDS


MEDIUM Palmer 16
SOFT Stroll 31
SUPERSOFT Massa 25


* The above number gives the total amount of kilometres driven in FP1 and FP2 today, all drivers combined.
** Per compound, all drivers combined.


MINIMUM PRESCRIBED TYRE PRESSURES
23.0 psi (fronts) – 21.0 psi (rears)


Kms driven* 225 2067 4199
Sets used overall** 18 26 53


Anthony Peacock - photo Pirelli