Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer at Monza

Lewis Hamilton has dominated this season in what is undoubtedly, on a general level, the best car in the field. But in one of his answers in his news conference on Thursday, Hamilton sought to address what he clearly feels is a sense that his own performances have perhaps been undervalued.

“In terms of performance there is a lot put on the car and less often concerned with the driver,” he said. “Some of the races we come to, there are two of my cars and sometimes there is a car in between us, or maybe more than one. So it is not necessarily who has the fastest car. The reason I got into this sport or my dad thought I did well was because he bought me a ‘four-poster-bed’ he called it, a fifth-hand kart, and I used to pull out more from that kart than the other drivers could do. And some races in the past I have been able to do more with the car than it has particularly wanted to and that’s what I enjoy.

“So I arrive at these tracks where we’re not the quickest, like the last race, and I was able to make the subtle difference to progress forwards. Last year [in Italy] I made the difference in the race and I think I made the difference last race managing to close the gap to the Ferraris so I am hoping in the race it gets closer for us and we have a race. So I just approach it the same, trying to out-drive the car if and when I can. And there were other races where we weren’t as quick as the Ferraris but I am able to out-drive it a little bit and put it in close range of the car that is fastest.”

Those remarks will not be comfortable reading for Valtteri Bottas, but Hamilton does have a point. Bahrain, Canada and Hungary, for example, are just three races where the man himself really did make a difference in the final result. Which of course is why he’s as successful as he is, and why he earns the big bucks.

Image source, Getty Images

Monza may be looking a little tired around the edges when compared to some of the more plush settings in the modern F1 calendar, but it remains a mecca for fans - especially of the Tifosi variety.

The traditional setting of the Italian Grand Prix always attracts a passionate local crowd, who cram in to every available vantage point, eager to see a Ferrari victory, and provide the race meeting with an unmistakable atmosphere.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

It was an interesting practice session, although there wasn't much to learn from.

There were some spins and relatively low-speed crashes into the barrier which sent Sergio Perez and Kimi Raikkonen back to the garage, giving their mechanics a working lunch to get the cars in shape to go back out in FP2 this afternoon.

It's fair to say that most drivers spun, or went off into the run-off areas at some point at the slippery corners of Turn One, Turn Nine and Parabolica at Turn 11. But the track started to dry out towards the end with some running on soft and medium tyres.

We will be back at 13:30 BST for FP2.

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer at Monza

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc ended an incident-strewn, wet-dry first practice fastest at the Italian Grand Prix.

Alfa Romeo's Kimi Raikkonen and Racing Point's Sergio Perez crashed in the wet conditions early on, before the drivers switched to dry-weather slicks late on.

Leclerc, fresh from his maiden victory in Belgium, was 0.306 seconds quicker than the McLaren's Carlos Sainz.

Sainz's team-mate Lando Norris was third ahead of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.

Read the FP1 report.

Image source, Getty Images

Fernando Alonso is milling around in the McLaren garage.

Three guesses to why he's here...

Image source, McLaren

Jack Nicholls
BBC Radio 5 Live F1 commentator

Hamilton is so much quicker than Vettel. Really visibly so.

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live

This session is not representative. Leclerc is fastest, that's good for him, but really in this session you can't learn a lot.

Valtteri Bottas spins. He does a full 360, a bit onto the grass. I'm not sure that's very good for those soft tyres.

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live

It means absolutely nothing the times right now, but it's one for the record books.

Carlos Sainz is at the top, but Hamilton, Vettel, and Charles are pushing.

Image source, Getty Images

Jolyon Palmer
Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live

You want to be on the soft tyres right now and the mediums won't be as good in these conditions. If there's half a second gap between mediums and soft in the dry it could be a second-and-a-half now, as the warm-up is critical.

Callum S: Albon’s drive was impressive enough when you compare it to Gasly’s repeated failure to make up ground when he started near the back

John Cooper: Leclerc is quick... and fragile. Long way to go before he can string wins together. Baffled by his ‘No one can overtake at Monaco’. Max Verstappen blew by him there the year before and it’s from MV that he needs to learn... add maturity to speed.

Adam Johnson: Leclerc is a fantastic driver and has potential to be the best. He was brilliant in his first season at sauber. He has an ability to learn from his mistakes and will only get faster. Hopefully lots of championships come his way.

Image source, Getty Images

Hard: C2

Medium: C3

Soft: C4

Image source, Pirelli

Slick tyres are out for a stint.

Leclerc and Vettel are on mediums, while Hamilton, Sainz, Norris, Kvyat, and Gasly are on softs.

S: That helmet/Newey fact is fascinating! Glad I tuned in for that alone.

"It's been the highlight of our broadcast today, I'd say" says Jack.

I've lost count. How many red flags? I also lost count of safety cars in Hockenheim.

Image source, Getty Images

They vary from Valtteri Bottas' 1:30.596 all the way down to George Russell's 1:38.421.

2. Hamilton + 0.153

3. Albon +0.654

4. Leclerc +0.694

5. Sainz +1.460