Hamilton fastest in first Italian GP practice at Monza - MotorSportsTalk

Lewis Hamilton has finished fastest in the first free practice session for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on Friday morning.

The Mercedes driver posted a quickest lap time of 1:26.187 to finish over six-tenths clear of McLaren’s Jenson Button in second place, while Nico Rosberg could only come home two-tenths further back in third.

[ VIDEO: Watch full replay of FP2 ]

Hamilton heads into this weekend’s race at Monza in search of his first win since the British Grand Prix at the beginning of July. Over the past three races, Rosberg has managed to extend his lead at the top of the drivers’ championship to 29 points, and their intra-team relationship has soured following a run-in at the Belgian Grand Prix.

In the first practice session on Friday though, Hamilton was the man to come out on top, even if he did run wide on one occasion. He recovered well by giving the fans a quick wave from his cockpit.

Fernando Alonso gave the Ferrari fans in Italy something to smile about by finishing fourth, and with Kimi Raikkonen in seventh, the team may be in better stead at Monza than many expected. Kevin Magnussen backed up Button’s charge to P2 by finishing fifth, suggesting that McLaren could be set for one of its best results of the year at Monza. However, the team did have to fix a problem with the headrest on Button’s car when it came loose.

Red Bull enjoyed a less successful session, though. Sebastian Vettel finished fifth, but teammate Daniel Ricciardo had to settle for 16th place thanks to a problem on his RB10 car.

Sergio Perez finished eighth for Force India in a limited session after he handed the car over to reserve driver Daniel Juncadella for the first thirty minutes. The Spaniard finished down in 17th place.

Roberto Merhi got his first taste of a Formula 1 car during practice for Caterham, and finished two-tenths up on full-time driver Marcus Ericsson at the back of the field. Charles Pic could only finish 21st for Lotus in his first practice run of the season.

Be sure to join us for FP2 live on NBCSN and Live Extra from 8am ET today.

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The IndyCar Series has re-signed NTT as its title sponsor in a multiyear agreement starting in 2024.

NTT, a global information technology and communications company based in Japan, became the series’ title sponsor before the 2019 season after starting as a sponsor of the No. 10 Dallara-Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.

NTT Data (a subsidiary of parent company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.) will remain the official technology partner of IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indy 500 and the NASCAR Brickyard weekend.

With the extension, an IndyCar spokesman said NTT would become the second-longest title sponsor in series history. The longest title sponsor was PPG from 1980-97 (under the CART sanction of the Champ Car Series).

NTT replaced Verizon, which was IndyCar’s title sponsor from 2014-18 after IZOD from 2010-13.

“NTT is an excellent partner across our enterprise with strong expertise and a deep commitment to our sport,” Penske Corp. chairman and IndyCar owner Roger Penske said in a release. “From Smart Venue technology at the Racing Capital of the World to the reimagined Series mobile application, NTT is transforming the fan experience in new and innovative ways. We look forward to a bright future together.”

NTT has used artificial intelligence-enabled optical detection technology at IMS to provide information to the track’s operations and security teams, helping improve fan traffic flow and safety, the track said.

“IndyCar is a great partner for NTT Data because of our shared commitment to driving innovation, increasing sustainability and delivering amazing experiences,” NTT Data CEO Kaz Nishihata said in a release. “We also appreciate how IndyCar is so diverse, with drivers from 15 different countries, and races that range from short ovals and superspeedways to road and street courses. It’s both an incredible sport and a wonderful example for our world.”

NTT also has been instrumental in helping redesign the IndyCar app and providing more race and driver data for use in NBC Sports’ broadcasts by utilizing 140 data points from every car in the field.

“NTT is fully invested in the development and growth of our sport and has already established a terrific track record in our industry with problem-solving capabilities and access to top talent and tools,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said.

Said NTT Data Services CEO Bob Pryor: “We’re thrilled to continue our collaborations that enhance and expand the fan experience for motorsports and serve as proof points for data analytics, AI, and other innovative digital technologies. For more than a century, this racing series has pioneered innovations making driving safer for everyone, and by continuing this relationship, we will accelerate the pace of innovations and new technologies, particularly related to sustainability that ultimately can benefit organizations, communities and individuals around the world.”

Starting as a Japanese telephone company, NTT grew into a $100 billion-plus tech services giant with U.S. operations based in Plano, Texas.