McLaren Takes Command at Formula 1’s Imola GP Practice Sessions

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have set the pace for McLaren in Friday’s practice sessions at Formula 1’s Imola Grand Prix, indicating a strong start for the team in the 2025 season. The duo outperformed their competitors, with Piastri leading FP1 and Norris taking the top spot in FP2, albeit by a narrow margin.

Piastri and Norris Show Promising Form

In FP1, Piastri set the pace with a time of 1m16.074s on medium tires, a lead that was surpassed only by Carlos Sainz in Williams running on the same compound. However, Piastri’s dominance continued in FP2, where he posted a impressive 1m15.293s, just 0.025 seconds ahead of teammate Norris.

Despite attempting to overtake Norris for first place, the Briton failed to improve on his previous lap time. Alpine‘s Pierre Gasly rounded out the top three, with George Russell in fourth for Mercedes.

Verstappen Shows Promise After Early Struggles

Max Verstappen, the defending world champion, had a more encouraging session after a challenging FP1 marred by balance issues on the Red Bull RB21. Despite his efforts, Verstappen still trailed the McLarens by four tenths of a second.

Incident at Turn 1 Disrupts Practice

The session was disrupted when Isack Hadjar, racing for Racing Bulls, lost control and spun off into the gravel trap at Turn 1’s Tamburello. The incident brought out a brief red flag, but the session resumed for two more minutes, allowing teams to conduct practice starts.

Yuki Tsunoda ended the day in eighth place, just one tenth behind his teammate, with Williams duo Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon rounding out the top 10. Lewis Hamilton struggled with brakes and finished in 11th place, while Argentina’s Franco Colapinto, returning to F1 with Alpine, ended Friday in 13th place after a clean first day back behind the wheel.