Rosberg tops FP2 as Ferrari closes in

F1 Grand Prix, GP Italy, Autodromo Nazionale di Monza

Nico Rosberg set the fastest time during second practice of the Italian Grand Prix weekend at Monza, marginally topping his team mate Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari duo followed closely behind in third and fourth.

The session begun with some drama for Lewis Hamilton as his car's engine failed to start for the installation lap, forcing the team to remove the car's floor and check what was going on. One hour later, the team managed to get the car out after resolving an electronics issue on the #44 Mercedes AMG F1W05.

By that time, Rosberg installed himself on top of the timesheet with a run on the medium compound tyre, before reverting to some longer runs. Hamilton still managed to get some running done on the medium tyre but is essentially slightly on the backfoot when it comes to longer run pace with the softest of both tyres.

Also notable during the session were the issues that both Lotus drivers experienced. Maldonado and Grosjean were frequently seen missing the chicanes of Rettifilo and Roggia. Energy recovery from the rear brakes and its accompanying electric modulation have been a problem since the very beginning of the season for the team. The car's obvious lack of downforce isn't exactly helping either.

A little less obvious in time timesheet are the Williams cars as they both focused on race simulations. Their times proved impressive throughout their entire stints, confirming that the team may be at its best at this high speed Autodromo di Monza.