F1 Italian Grand Prix LIVE: Practice updates and lap times at Monza

Close ‘I have unfinished business’ Hamilton signs 2-yr Mercedes contract extension Max Verstappen is eyeing a record-breaking 10th F1 win in a row as the paddock rolls around to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix this weekend. Verstappen, picking up where he left off before the summer break, won his home race in the Netherlands last week to equal Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine consecutive grand prix triumphs. The Dutchman, who now has a mammoth 138-point lead in the championship over team-mate Sergio Perez, is the overwhelming favourite in Italy having also won in Monza last year. Mercedes endured a difficult weekend last time out in Zandvoort but will be buoyed by the news that both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have signed contract extensions until the end of the 2025 season. As for Ferrari, they head into their home race short of form having not won a race since Austria last year but will be hoping for a strong performance in front of the home tifosi crowd. Fernando Alonso, too, will be looking to back up his podium in Zandvoort with another top-three showing at Monza. Follow live updates from the Italian Grand Prix with The Independent 1693560584 Fernando Alonso insists he would keep Lewis Hamilton ‘until he’s 80 years old’ over picking a young F2 driver after the seven-time world champion signed a new contract with Mercedes. Hamilton, 38, penned an extension until the end of the 2025 season – alongside team-mate George Russell – which will keep him racing in F1 into his 40s. Alonso, himself 42, has shown with his seven podiums for Aston Martin this season that age is no factor when it comes to performance – a point he reiterated when speaking to the press in Monza about Hamilton’s new deal. Hamilton penned a contract extension with Mercedes on Thursday which will take him racing into his 40s Kieran Jackson 1 September 2023 10:29 1693560304 1) Max Verstappen – 339 points 2) Sergio Perez – 201 points 3) Fernando Alonso – 168 points 4) Lewis Hamilton – 156 points 5) Carlos Sainz – 102 points 6) Charles Leclerc – 99 points 7) George Russell – 99 points 8) Lando Norris – 75 points 9) Lance Stroll – 47 points 10) Pierre Gasly – 37 points 11) Esteban Ocon – 36 points 12) Oscar Piastri – 34 points 13) Alex Albon – 15 points 14) Nico Hulkenberg – 9 points 15) Valtteri Bottas – 5 points 16) Zhou Guanyu – 4 points 17) Yuki Tsunoda – 3 points 18) Kevin Magnussen – 2 points 19) Logan Sargeant – 0 points 20) Nyck de Vries – 0 points 21) Daniel Ricciardo – 0 points 22) Liam Lawson – 0 points Kieran Jackson 1 September 2023 10:25 1693559984 Lewis Hamilton has signed a new contract with Mercedes , extending his stay with the Silver Arrows until the end of 2025. The 38-year-old joined Mercedes from boyhood team McLaren in 2013 and has won six of his seven world titles under the guidance of boss Toto Wolff . George Russell, who joined as Hamilton’s teammate in 2022, has also extended his deal for another two years. The seven-time world champion, who joined Mercedes in 2013, has put pen-to-paper on a contract extension Kieran Jackson 1 September 2023 10:19 1693559763 Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza this weekend! The big news in the world of Formula 1 is that both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have signed contract extensions at Mercedes until the end of the 2025 season! On track, Max Verstappen is eyeing a record-breaking 10th win in a row – can anyone challenge him at the so-called Temple of Speed? It’s practice today – first practice starts at 12:30pm (BST) with FP2 at 4pm. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have extended their contracts with Mercedes Kieran Jackson 1 September 2023 10:16