BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

Will it be more of the same in second practice? The cars will be heading out on to the circuit in around 30 minutes.

You can listen to 5 live sports extra commentary from 12:55 BST.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

Image source, Getty Images

"Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were in a league of their own in first practice.

"Using an upgraded engine to spectacular effect, Hamilton was 1.588 seconds faster than the rest of the field - headed by Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel.

"The world champion was 0.463secs ahead of team-mate Rosberg, who he heads by 28 points in the championship."

Read Andrew Benson's FP1 report here.

Image source, Getty Images

Think of Monza and you think of the Tifosi. Passionate, vocal Ferrari fans that transform the circuit's stands into a sea of red throughout the Italian Grand Prix.

This year, they have a new name to cheer. Sebastian Vettel is racing in Italy in the team's colours for the first time.

Image source, Formula 1

However, the early signs are that he is going to have one heck of a task on to give the home fans something to cheer about this weekend...

Right then, that's all from us for FP1 but we will boot up coverage again for FP2 at 12:30 BST. I fully expect plenty more revelations of how you engaged in small talk with an F1 personality in the queue at the post office by then.

Here's Andrew Benson's report and we'll see you in just under two hours.

You have been telling us your stories of engaging in slightly uncomfortable chitchat with personalities from the world of F1. 

We've had some belters so far, keep them coming!

Allan McNish
BBC Radio 5 live analyst

1) Hamilton 2) Rosberg 3) Vettel 4) Hulkenberg 5) Perez 6) Raikkonen 7) Ricciardo 8) Massa 9) Bottas 10) Maldonado  

11) Nasr 12) Kvyat 13) Ericsson 14) Verstappen 15) Palmer 16) Sainz 17) Alonso 18) Button 19) Stevens 20) Merhi

Routine stuff in a largely trouble-free session for all the drivers as Mercedes once again top the timesheet, Lewis Hamilton fastest ahead of Nico Rosberg.

However, it is an impressive advantage Hamilton holds, almost half a second clear of Rosberg and 1.5s ahead of Sebastian Vettel in third.

Lewis Hamilton is looking all set to finish top of the pile in FP1, with his 1:24.670 almost half a second faster than Nico Rosberg's best lap. Sebastian Vettel is third fastest with Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez fourth and fifth fastest respectively.

Yellow flagpublished at 10:24

10:24

A couple of moments for a couple of the drivers as Felipe Massa runs wide at the exit of the Ascari chicane, before Sebastian Vettel tries to go into the first chicane with a bit too much speed, his gamble doesn't come off as he spins his Ferrari.

Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer

“So, on Thursday Lewis Hamilton said Mercedes’ engine upgrade for this race was largely to do with reliability. Mercedes are being a bit more specific, saying it is ‘effectively 2016 development pulled forward in order to make strategic use of the opportunity to use engine tokens in-season’. They say the ‘tokens give us a development platform that allows us to run and learn about a new Petronas fuel – and with a new oil to come hopefully at a future race’. 

"At the moment, only the works cars have the upgrade. Mercedes say not to read too much into the speed trap times, but they exist, so here they are. In the first half-hour, Nico Rosberg was fastest at 352km/h, with Hamilton just 1km/h slower. Third fastest was the Force India of Nico Hulkenberg, still using the previous spec engine, at 343; fourth, Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari at 341.” 

Lewis Hamilton is back out on the circuit as we dip into the final 10 minutes of the session.

Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are using their third power unit of the season at Monza, with Mercedes have used all its remaining engine development tokens.

"I have a wet bum," says Nico Hulkenberg over team radio. "It smells like petrol."

Unsurprisingly he is told to pit as Force India get ready to look into the issue.

Valtteri Bottas gets into the top 10 with a 1:27.075 as eight other cars join the Williams out on the circuit.