There’s a palpable buzz in the air at Monza as the Italian Grand Prix approaches, with the legendary circuit set to host a weekend of high-octane drama, emotional returns, and stories that stretch far beyond the racetrack. The 2025 edition of the storied race is already shaping up to be one for the history books, not least because Lewis Hamilton, seven-time world champion, is making his Monza debut behind the wheel of a Ferrari—a sight that has the red-clad tifosi dreaming of glory.
Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari has injected a fresh wave of excitement into the sport, and his performance in Friday’s first practice session only fueled the anticipation. According to the Associated Press, Hamilton topped the timesheets in that opening session, going 0.169 seconds quicker than teammate Charles Leclerc for a Ferrari one-two that sent the home crowd into raptures. "I haven’t (thought about it), simply because I’ve been on the podium plenty of times here, so I know what it’s like to be up there," Hamilton told reporters when asked about the prospect of standing on the Monza podium in Ferrari red. "I’ve seen how it’s been for other Ferrari drivers, and anything I try to imagine will be far from what that feeling could be."
Despite the strong start, Hamilton’s weekend is set to be complicated by a five-place grid penalty, a consequence of incidents at the Dutch Grand Prix just a week earlier. Both he and Leclerc crashed out in separate incidents at Zandvoort, leaving Ferrari eager for redemption on home soil. Hamilton, reflecting on his journey with the team, said, "I’m still in my first year with the team, and so every weekend is the first time driving this car at that track. They won here last year with a great strategy and a great drive from Charles. I’m really keen to see how the car works here. We’re definitely learning from weekend to weekend, loads of positives to take from the last, so I think we just have to keep building on that."
While Ferrari’s hopes rest on Hamilton and Leclerc, the spotlight in the championship battle is firmly on McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The two young drivers are locked in a fierce contest for what would be a first Formula 1 title for either. Piastri, fresh off a win at the Dutch Grand Prix, now leads the drivers’ championship by 34 points. Norris, whose title hopes took a hit after his car broke down while chasing Piastri at Zandvoort, remains determined. "I don’t think much will change," Piastri said of their rivalry. "He’s certainly not out of the fight. Yes, it’s a bit more difficult now but I don’t expect much to change. I think we’ll race each other the same way, the amount of risks we’re taking will be the same. We’re both trying to drive as fast as we can, it’s not like we’ve been holding anything back from that side of things."
The practice sessions on Friday reflected the close competition at the front. Hamilton set the pace in the morning, but Norris bounced back to top the second session, edging out Leclerc by just 0.083 seconds and Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jr. by 0.096 seconds. The margins were razor-thin, with less than two tenths of a second separating the top six drivers. Piastri, 0.181 seconds slower than Norris, finished just ahead of Hamilton and reigning champion Max Verstappen. Meanwhile, Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, who endured a tough introduction at Monza last year, showed flashes of speed with a fifth-fastest time in the first practice before spinning off into the gravel in the second.
Off the track, Formula 1’s leadership is contemplating changes aimed at attracting younger audiences. F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali has floated ideas ranging from shortening the actual races to adding more sprint races. The proposals have sparked lively debate among drivers. Veteran Fernando Alonso, never one to mince words, pushed back against the notion that race length is the problem. "I will be on the other side, I will be in front of the TV when that happens," Alonso said, referencing the idea of shorter races. "I don’t think it’s a problem with the sport. Also, football matches are a little bit long … and no one is talking about having 60-minute football matches or something like that. So it’s a problem of society and the kids, but not the sport. So probably it’s not needed, the change."
Domenicali has also suggested packing the calendar with more sprint races, claiming that most drivers now support the format. Even Max Verstappen, a vocal critic in the past, has reportedly come around to the idea. Yet, Verstappen himself clarified his position: "I mean you all know what I think about sprint races. But the length of the race I think it’s fine. Sometimes it’s one and a half hours, sometimes close to two. In other sports as well, sometimes you have an exciting game, sometimes absolutely boring and you fall asleep. Yes, I see the positive (about sprint races) — people are making more money … But F1 has been like this since the 50s. I understand that sports evolve and stuff like that, but we shouldn’t go too crazy. I think the sprint race is already, from my side, crazy enough."
While the action at Monza commands the world’s attention, the week has also seen dramatic developments elsewhere. In Argentina, a court announced the recovery of a lost 18th-century painting looted by the Nazis during World War II, a significant cultural victory that has captured headlines across the globe. According to the Associated Press, the artwork’s return marks a poignant moment for those dedicated to restoring the world’s stolen heritage.
Meanwhile, in Brazil, political and sporting stories have unfolded with equal intensity. Former President Jair Bolsonaro, now under house arrest, stood at the entrance of his home as his trial continued—a scene emblematic of the political turbulence that has gripped the country in recent years. In a more uplifting display of resilience, players from the Coritiba Crocodiles American football team, some of whom survived a devastating bus crash in 2024 that claimed the lives of three teammates, took to the field against the Brown Spiders. Their return to play is a testament to the enduring spirit of athletes and the communities that support them.
As the world watches Monza and beyond, the intersection of sport, history, and society is on full display. Whether it’s Hamilton’s quest for a fairytale result in Ferrari red, the fierce fight for the Formula 1 title, or the recovery of lost art and the resilience of athletes and nations, the week’s events remind us that drama and inspiration can be found in every corner of the globe.
