Lewis Hamilton suspects traffic will prove to be a “nightmare” during qualifying for the Ital🦂ian Grand Prix with Formula 1 drivers eyeing a laptime gain from the slipstream.

The slipstream effect at the high-speed Monza circuit is particularly powerful and drivers are expected to try and benefit by running closely behind another car as it pu✱nches a hole in the air down the track’s long straights.

Driversܫ were seen practising s✃lipstreaming throughout both practice sessions and were jostling for position as the field bunched up on the back straight heading to the Parabolica before beginning their Soft tyre runs.

The FIA has issued a warning to the drivers about driving too slowly on their outlaps in a bid to avoid a repeat of the farcical scenes that took꧑ place during last year’s qualifying session.

Several drivers, including Hamilton, were unable to complete their fin♈al runs in Q3 at Monza last year after the final 10 runners crawled around the circ🌊uit to avoid being at the front of the queue and subsequently missing out on the toe.

“It🌼 was difficult in the past and obviously we didn’t even get to do the last lap last year, so I think it’s going to be interesting,” Hamiltoꦿn said.

“I heard they might put in place𓄧 a minimum time that we have to do an out lap so maybe that will help.

“But st🐼ill I think it’l🥃l be a nightmare at the last corner with everyone trying to get a gap - it’s definitely going to be hard work.”

The six-times world champion outpaced teamma꧒te Valtteri Bottas by over two-tenths in FP2 as the Mercedes dไrivers ended Friday practice for the Italian Grand Prix nearly a second clear of the rest.

“I’ve not really 🔥been looking at the🎉 times, I’ve just really been working on set-up, and so I don’t really know how close I am to him [Bottas] or he is to me,” Hamilton explained.

“Just trying to make sure I get the right balance for a single lap, as it’s🍸 really hard to overtake here, and then to figure out how to get the balance right for the race.

“It felt l📖ike we made some improvement from P1 to P2, in P1 it didn’t feel grea🐟t,” he added.

“But then because it’s all low downfor🥃ce here obviously, a lot of sliding around, then FP2 some steps in the right direction. It’s going to be close between a bunch of people I thꦓink.”

Bottas said h🐈e was lacking rear stability in his W11 during second practice and feels the💧re is more pace to come from his side before qualifying.

“I would say the biggest for me was lacking rear stability in a ♐few cornersꦕ, but other than that it was pretty good,” the Finn said.

“There is always more to come for sure. I think my lap in FP2 wasn’t that great, so also from my𒁃 side there’s quite a bit more to come. I’m sure 𒀰it’s the same thing for every team.”