Max Verstappen has received a gentle warning about his driving from the FIA race director, Charlie Whiting.
Whiting spoke with Verstappen before Friday morning’s practice session to review last weekend’s race in Spa, where the Red Bull driver used aggressive, defensive tactics to frustrate the Ferrari team of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen.
Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, said: “Charlie was keen to show him a replay of Spa. It was a gentle warning to say: ‘That’ll be a black and white flag.’ It was a bit of a warning.” Whiting also had placatory talks with Vettel and Raikkonen.
Formula One officials held a press conference on Friday to announce – bizarrely – a new three-year deal with Monza had not been signed.
F1’s chief executive, Bernie Ecclestone, the FIA president, Jean Todt, and the Italian Grand Prix head Angelo Sticchi Damiani were intending to announce a fresh three-year agreement but it emerged it had not been signed off.
Ecclestone said: “Regretfully legally we can’t sign it here but more important is we have an agreement thanks to our lawyers and we are getting all the small details sorted. There is no problem in having the race here. The contract will be for three years but I hope we are here for 100 years. We are going to sign it in London. We cannot sign it here but everyone should be happy we are going to keep the race at Monza.”
Out on the track, Mercedes dominated both practice sessions. In the morning run, Nico Rosberg finished top of the time sheets, pushing Lewis Hamilton into second place by two tenths of a second.
Rosberg had an outing on the supersoft tyres but then improved on that using the soft rubber option. The Mercedes cars were followed home by the Ferraris of Vettel and Raikkonen, and then came Sergio Pérez (Force India) and the Haas of Romain Grosjean.
In the afternoon it was Hamilton’s turn to finish top dog. He was 0.193sec clear of Rosberg. Again the Ferraris were next best and they were followed by the Red Bulls of Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.
Both McLarens managed to get into the top half, with Fernando Alonso seventh and Jenson Button 10th.
Hamilton was booed when he won here for the first time in 2012 but then Alonso, in a Ferrari, was the local hero. Hamilton’s wins in 2014 and again last year were better received.
