McLaren demonstrated strong performance during the free practice sessions for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, securing a one-two finish in both outings and potentially dampening spirits among Ferrari fans at their home race.
Australian driver Oscar Piastri, who has won four of the last five races and leads the championship standings, set the fastest pace at the Imola circuit. He recorded a best lap of 1:16.545 in the first session and improved his time to 1:15.293 in the second.
His teammate, Lando Norris, who is currently 16 points behind Piastri in the championship after six races, was closely matched in speed, finishing just 0.032 seconds adrift in the first practice and 0.025 seconds behind in the second.
Imola, a historic and challenging circuit marking the start of the European part of the season and a significant event for Ferrari, also saw several incidents.
The first practice session was cut short and did not restart after Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto crashed with approximately three minutes remaining. Fortunately, he was able to exit his car without injury.
In the first session, Carlos Sainz of Ferrari was third fastest, 0.052 seconds off Piastri`s time. George Russell of Mercedes finished fourth, just 0.002 seconds behind Sainz.
The second session featured a surprise third place from Pierre Gasly for Alpine, though he was 0.276 seconds slower than Piastri. George Russell finished fourth again.
More red flags were deployed in Practice Two when Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar spun off at speed and got his car stuck in the gravel trap.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, preparing for his first race weekend in Italy since the announcement of his future move to Ferrari, finished fifth in the first session and eleventh in the second, with time gaps of 0.096 and 0.650 seconds respectively.
Red Bull`s four-time world champion Max Verstappen ended the day fifth fastest overall, having been seventh in FP1. Verstappen, last year`s winner at Imola, voiced frustration during the first session, complaining over the radio about his car`s handling: “I can`t rely on the rear. It feels like I`m drifting everywhere.”
Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc also reported issues, specifically with their brakes. Charles Leclerc, who had missed media duties on Thursday due to feeling unwell, finished sixth fastest by the end of Friday. In the first session, where he was 12th, he ran wide into the gravel and mentioned that his helmet was lifting.
Mercedes` 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli, the only Italian driver on the grid and making his home debut, finished 13th in the first session and 18th in the second.
Argentine rookie Franco Colapinto, making his debut for Alpine, completed the sessions without incident, finishing 17th in FP1 and improving to 13th in FP2.
