Emilia Romagna GP FP1: McLaren Dominate Again as Piastri

Emilia Romagna GP FP1: McLaren Dominate Again as Piastri Leads, Verstappen F….read more

The Formula 1 paddock returned to Europe with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, kicking off with a lively FP1 session at Imola. The session delivered several storylines—from a new Pirelli tyre compound making its debut, to a rising Italian talent impressing early on, to McLaren once again stamping their authority at the top of the timesheets.

McLaren continued their excellent form in Free Practice sessions this season as Oscar Piastri led the way with a blistering lap of 1:16.545. This marked McLaren’s sixth time topping FP1 in the last seven race weekends. The Australian was closely followed by his team-mate Lando Norris, who trailed by a mere 0.032 seconds, underscoring McLaren’s current pace and consistency. Carlos Sainz secured the third fastest time, keeping Ferrari in the mix heading into the rest of the weekend.

The session also featured the debut of Pirelli’s brand-new C6 tyre compound, the softest in their range. George Russell set a strong early benchmark using the C6s, momentarily holding the top spot with a 1:16.599 lap, half a second clear of the field at that point. However, his time was eventually eclipsed by the flying McLarens.

Young Italian driver Kimi Antonelli, who has been gaining attention recently, made an immediate impact. On his very first lap, he posted a time good enough to go quickest, edging Norris by 0.017s. His performance captured the attention of the local crowd and hinted at the potential he could bring to Formula 1 in the near future.

Not everything went smoothly on track. A near-miss incident occurred between Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc, as the Aston Martin driver reported over team radio that he nearly collided with the Ferrari. Leclerc, acknowledging the mistake, raised his hand in apology—thankfully avoiding any major damage for either driver.

Meanwhile, Oliver Bearman, back behind the wheel for Haas, was limited to just three laps early on before his team called him into the pits. Engineers examined the ride height of the updated VF-25 and made necessary suspension adjustments, curtailing his initial run.

Gabriel Bortoleto, running medium tyres, was showing promising pace when disaster struck. A crash brought his session to a premature end and interrupted what had been a strong showing. His performance prior to the incident, however, left an impression, especially given the tyre disadvantage compared to rivals on soft compounds.

Championship leader Max Verstappen endured a frustrating session, visibly expressing his dissatisfaction by striking his steering wheel. With Red Bull appearing slightly off the pace, all eyes will be on the Dutchman to bounce back in FP2 and qualifying.

In summary, McLaren’s commanding one-two finish in FP1, Antonelli’s exciting flashes of talent, and Pirelli’s new tyres added intrigue to a weekend already brimming with anticipation.