Gran Premio Emilia-Romagna – Free Practice 1: Oscar Plastri sets the fastest time ahead of Lando Norris
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) set the reference time (1:16:545) in the first free practice session at Imola, ahead of Lando Norris (McLaren) and Carlos Sainz (Williams). So far, McLaren seems to be in good shape, as are Mercedes. Red Bull remains an unknown quantity, while Ferrari seems to have a difficult car to master.
McLaren at the forefront in FP1
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris once again started the weekend on the right note by claiming the top two positions. In the session, 17 cars were within the same second, indicating that the times are tight, and tomorrow’s qualifying will be crucial. The Mercedes, Max Verstappen, and the Ferraris could compete with the McLarens. Carlos Sainz also delivered a strong performance by setting the third fastest time, despite facing difficulties with his Williams since the start of the season.
A helmet problem for Charles Leclerc?
The Ferrari driver was absent from the paddock of F1 during the press day on Thursday in Imola because he was not feeling well. During this first session, the driver was bothered with his single-seater. He complained about his helmet lifting. Is it a setup issue or a test in view of the Monaco weekend? We will surely have the answer during the second Free Practice session later in the afternoon. His teammate experienced braking problems during the session, finishing in fifth place.
A red flag at the end of the session
As with every race weekend, the first session allows drivers to familiarize themselves with the circuit. Imola is a fast track with curbs that can be tricky, and during FP1, many drivers got close to the edge. Some drivers also got in each other’s way, like Franco Colapinto and Max Verstappen mid-session, with the Dutch driver expressing his frustration by giving the finger to the Argentine driver, who is experiencing his first weekend with Alpine. Before them, Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso had a similar encounter at the start of the session. Two minutes before the end of FP1, Sauber driver Gabriel Bortoleto made a mistake at Turn 18. Replays show that the Brazilian took a bit too much curb, causing the rear of the car to slide slightly. He then went straight off, crossed the gravel trap, and crashed into the barriers head-on, fortunately without any harm to the driver.
