Verstappen Tops Red-Flagged Italian GP FP1 as Antonelli Crashes

Max Verstappen emerged as the fastest driver in a chaotic opening practice session for the Italian Grand Prix, highlighted by a red flag triggered by a crash involving rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli, driving for Mercedes, experienced a dramatic end to his first session after just 10 minutes when he lost control of his car at the Parabolica corner, resulting in a spin and impact with the wall. The incident brought out the red flags, pausing the session for 13 minutes. Despite the setback, Verstappen ultimately secured the top spot with a time of 1:21.676, edging out Charles Leclerc by a margin of 0.228 seconds. The session was marked by several other notable moments, including strong performances from Valtteri Bottas and Lando Norris, who both briefly held the top position before being overtaken by Verstappen and Leclerc.