McLaren's supremacy challenged as Monza catches competitors off guard.

      "For my liking, the competitors are too near to us."

      The sense of invincibility surrounding McLaren might finally be diminishing following a more competitive beginning to the Italian GP weekend in Monza. Lando Norris, who is pursuing teammate Oscar Piastri in the championship race after his setback in Zandvoort, acknowledged that Friday practice was closer than anticipated. "For my taste, the opponents are too close to us," the Brit said to reporters. "Typically, we have a one-second edge over everyone at this stage, and now it’s closer than I would prefer. At Zandvoort, we were clearly the fastest, which was fantastic, but here it’s the opposite."

      Red Bull, having recently expressed doubts about their ability to compete for wins, suddenly seemed rejuvenated. "McLaren doesn’t appear to have any additional performance at the moment," said team advisor Helmut Marko. He speculated that Ferrari might have increased their power for the fans on Friday, but even Williams was posting impressive times. "Williams is also quick," Marko, 82, acknowledged, "but they aren’t as consistent and were erratic in the race simulation. We still have a bit of traction to improve, but if McLaren hasn’t misled us, it could turn out to be very exciting."

      Marko added, "This represents a remarkable advancement for us compared to last year. We’ve made a few smaller updates, but as a whole package, there’s a significant difference. We’ve also adopted a different setup philosophy, which appears to be effective."

      Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc attempted to temper expectations after a week filled with pre-Monza Ferrari hype, despite the team's promising single-lap speed. "Our car here is not easy to handle," he admitted, "but it is quick." Nonetheless, former Racing Bulls leader Franz Tost believes the true interest lies strictly within McLaren. "Verstappen is close in terms of speed, but he can’t compete with the McLarens in terms of equipment, even if it’s still mathematically feasible," he told Speed Week. "McLaren no longer has to worry about competition. We’ll see which of the two drivers comes out on top."