Lewis Hamilton leads from the off as McLaren complete one-two in Monza practice
Lewis Hamilton led a McLaren one-two in the first practice session for Sunday's Italian grand prix. The Formula One world champion hit the front early in the 90-minute session with his first flying lap, and was never deposed. Heikki Kovalainen edged out Force India's Adrian Sutil to be second fastest.
It was not a totally trouble-free morning for Hamilton, however, as he lost his fuel flap at one stage.
Remoulded and far higher kerbs now dominate the three chicanes at the Monza circuit, and the Englishman hit one hard. He chipped away at his own time throughout the morning, though, before wrapping up a dominant session with a lap time of 1min 23.936sec for the 5.793km circuit.
Kovalainen finished 0.396sec adrift of his 24-year-old team-mate, with Sutil just over half a second down on Hamilton.
Despite Giancarlo Fisichella's switch to Ferrari from Force India, the team still appear strong, with Sutil looking to build on Fisichella's pole and second place in the last race, the Belgian grand prix.
With his car refitted with the Kers system, the device that provides a power boost at the touch of a button, Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest in a Renault. After their return to form in Belgium, BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld was fifth fastest, closely followed by Sébastien Buemi in a Toro Rosso.
Of the four title challengers the championship leader Jenson Button was the best of the bunch down in seventh, finishing 0.770sec behind Hamilton.
Fisichella finished eighth and quicker than his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, in 10th, by 0.029sec. However, the Italian's time was deceptive as he completed the session on the quicker soft tyres compared to the majority of the field who had spent the morning on the harder compound.
Mark Webber in a Red Bull separated the Ferrari pair in ninth, with Rubens Barrichello in the Brawn 12th and Sebastian Vettel down in 18th in the other Red Bull. However, due to engine constraints as his team attempt to preserve the life in the few he has remaining, the young German completed only eight laps.
At the back of the field were the Toyota duo of Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock, the latter involved in the only incident as he spun at one stage before bouncing heavily over one of the new kerbs.