The McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris topped the timesheets in the first two practice sessions of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in Imola. Piastri edged Norris by a mere 0.025 seconds in the second practice session, continuing the team’s strong form.
Practice Session Highlights
Norris initially led the session with a 1:16.074 time on medium tires. Carlos Sainz briefly took the top spot with the same compound, but George Russell soon broke the 2024 pole time barrier with a 1:15.693 lap on the softer C6 Pirelli tires.
As the session progressed, Piastri and Norris took turns at the top. Piastri ultimately set the fastest lap with a 1:15.293 time, 0.025 seconds ahead of Norris. Pierre Gasly finished third, ahead of Russell, while Max Verstappen rounded out the top five, four-tenths off the McLaren pace.
Other Notable Performers
Other drivers made an impression during the session:
- Charles Leclerc was the highest-placed Ferrari driver in sixth.
- Isack Hadjar impressed with seventh place before crashing out.
- Yuki Tsunoda finished eighth, just a tenth behind Verstappen.
- The Williams duo of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon completed the top 10.
Lewis Hamilton struggled, finishing 11th, while Franco Colapinto made his Alpine debut with a 13th-place finish.