Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix: FP1 Summary
Imola, Italy – In a tightly contested first practice session at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Oscar Piastri edged out his McLaren teammate Lando Norris by a mere 0.032 seconds. The session, notably impacted by a late red flag caused by Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto crashing at Rivazza, saw teams debuting significant upgrades as they kicked off the European leg of the 2025 season.
Piastri set the fastest time of 1:16.545, taking the top spot shortly after the halfway mark. The session commenced with Norris leading early on with a lap of 1:17.125, before George Russell of Mercedes briefly usurped the lead with a time of 1:16.599.
Norris responded with a second attempt that yielded a 1:16.577, just shy of Piastri’s mark. Carlos Sainz, driving for Williams, showcased strong performance, securing third place with a time of 1:16.597, while Russell fell to fourth.
Lewis Hamilton acknowledged concerns with the brake performance of his Ferrari, yet managed to secure the fifth-fastest time, finishing less than a tenth off Piastri. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly showed promise with a sixth-place result, just 0.151 seconds behind the leader. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen found himself in seventh position, 0.35 seconds off the pace as he tested changes to the rear suspension of his Red Bull.
Late in the session, Bortoleto’s crash raised concerns, disrupting momentum but ultimately causing minor damage to his car.
FP1 Results
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:16.545
- Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:16.577
- Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 1:16.597
- George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:16.604
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:16.645
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 1:16.696
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:16.895
- Alex Albon (Williams) – Time Pending
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – Time Pending
- Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) – Time Pending
Overall, the session illustrated the competitive landscape of the grid heading into race weekend, with all eyes on advancements leading to the main event.
