Russell leads final practice at Monza

George Russell topped the third and final practice session for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, posting the fastest lap ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

The Mercedes driver completed the 5.793-kilometer Lombardy circuit in 1 minute, 22.219 seconds. Hamilton was 0.226 seconds slower, while Verstappen finished 0.350 seconds behind Russell. All three set their best times on soft tires.

Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the championship leader, recorded the fourth-fastest time, 0.361 seconds behind his teammate. Antonelli will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid after exceeding the permitted limit for power-unit changes.

Carlos Sainz was 16th for Williams, 1.656 seconds off Russell’s pace, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso placed 19th, 2.7 seconds behind. Alpine’s Franco Colapinto was 10th, 0.882 seconds off the lead, and Sergio Perez finished 21st for Cadillac, 2.812 seconds slower than Russell.