McLaren emerged as the team to beat during FridayS practice sessions for the Emilia-Romagna Grand prix, leaving Ferrari fans disappointed at their home race. Oscar Piastri led teammate Lando Norris in a McLaren one-two in both sessions, signaling a strong start to the European season.

Practice Session Highlights

• Piastri’s Performance: Australian driver Oscar Piastri, who has claimed victory in four of the last five races, showcased his speed at the imola circuit. He recorded a best time of 1 minute, 16.545 seconds in the first practice and improved to 1:15.293 in the second.
• Norris Close Behind: Lando Norris, trailing Piastri by 16 points in the championship standings after six races, remained consistently close to his teammate. He was just 0.032 seconds slower in the first practice and 0.025 seconds slower in the second.
• Imola’s Significance: Imola, a historic circuit with a somber past, marks the beginning of the European season. The track is also known as the site where Ayrton Senna tragically died in 1994. There are expectations that it will be removed from the Formula 1 calendar next year.

Session Disruptions

• Red Flags in Practice One: The first practice session was halted prematurely due to a crash involving Brazilian rookie Gabriel Bortoleto. The session was red-flagged with approximately three minutes remaining and was not restarted. Bortoleto emerged from the incident unharmed.
• Hadjar’s Spin: In the second session, Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar spun off the track at high speed, causing his car to become lodged in the gravel.this incident triggered another red flag.

driver Performances and Comments

• Sainz and Russell: Carlos Sainz finished third in the first session for Williams, just 0.052 seconds off the pace. George Russell of Mercedes was a mere 0.002 seconds slower.
• Gasly’s Surprise: Pierre Gasly secured a surprising third place for Alpine in the second practice, even though he was 0.276 seconds slower than Piastri. Russell followed in fourth.
• Hamilton’s Mixed Results: Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, preparing for his inaugural race in Italy as a Ferrari driver next year, finished fifth and 11th in the two sessions, respectively.He was 0.096 seconds and 0.650 seconds off the leading pace.
• Verstappen’s Struggles: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen,the reigning world champion,ended the sessions in seventh and fifth place. I can’t rely on the rear. it feels like I’m drifting everywhere, Verstappen complained over the radio during the first practice.
• Ferrari’s Brake Concerns: Both Ferrari drivers voiced concerns about their brakes.

Rookie Watch

• Antonelli’s Home Debut: Mercedes’ 18-year-old rookie Kimi Antonelli,the sole Italian driver on the grid,experienced his home debut,finishing 13th and 18th in the sessions.
• Colapinto’s Debut: argentine rookie Franco Colapinto, making his debut for Alpine as a replacement for Jack Doohan, finished 17th in the first practice but improved to 13th by the end of the afternoon.

Leclerc’s Challenges

Charles Leclerc, who was feeling unwell on thursday and had to skip media duties, finished 12th in the first session after running wide into the gravel. He also reported that his helmet was lifting during the session.