FP1 - Mercedes dominate opening Monza session

Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas set the pace in Friday’s first practice for the Formula 1 Gran Premio Heineken d'Italia 2017, with neither Ferrari getting within a second of Hamilton’s time as Sebastian Vettel took third place and Kimi Raikkonen fourth.

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The Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were close behind the scarlet cars, as the Force Indias of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon finished a further half second down. McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne and Williams’ Felipe Massa completed the top ten.

The overcast Monza session saw the 60 percent threat of rain realised with 16 minutes remaining. It wasn’t a heavy fall, but left the track greasy.

Bottas set the early pace using the soft Pirelli tyres, and was seven-tenths up on Hamilton on similar rubber; the Englishman missed chicanes on three occasions. Ferrari were using the supersofts at the same time, but Vettel was more than a second off Bottas's pace.

When Mercedes tried the supersofts Hamilton got into the 1m 21s, setting the fastest time of 1m 21.537s to Bottas’s 1m 21.972s. Vettel and Raikkonen, on the supersofts, managed 1m 22.652s and 1m 22.689s respectively, and Red Bull were close with Ricciardo on 1m 22.742s and Verstappen on 1m 22.749s.

Both Red Bull drivers are set for grid penalties, however, Ricciardo for using his fifth ICE and turbo and his sixth MGU-H, Verstappen for using his fifth ICE and MGU-H.

At McLaren, Alonso can expect a similar fate. The Spaniard is on his seventh ICE, ninth MGU-H, seventh MGU-K, ninth turbo, sixth energy store and fifth control electronics.

Carlos Sainz, who had a spin on his way to 11th place, will also get a grid penalty for his fifth MGU-H of the season on his Toro Rosso.

WATCH: FP1 summary