F1 Results Today: Shock Red Flag Halts Imola GP as Hamilton and Verstappen Miss… read more
F1 Results Today: Shock Red Flag Halts Imola GP as Hamilton and Verstappen Miss… read more
The first free practice session (FP1) at the 2025 Imola Grand Prix delivered several surprises, including a dominant display from McLaren and a premature red flag caused by a late crash. Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets with a stunning lap, while his teammate Lando Norris followed closely behind, giving McLaren a strong one-two finish in the session. The duo continued their impressive form in the Emilia Romagna region, with Piastri clocking a best time of 1:16.545, just 0.032 seconds ahead of Norris.
Carlos Sainz also impressed, securing third place for Williams and finishing just 0.052 seconds behind the leader. George Russell put in a solid performance for Mercedes to take fourth, narrowly missing Sainz’s time by just two thousandths of a second. Lewis Hamilton, now driving for Ferrari, faced some difficulties during the session, notably complaining over team radio about brake issues. He reported that the “car doesn’t want to stop,” but despite the setbacks, he managed to climb into the top five.
Pierre Gasly continued Alpine’s strong pace by placing sixth, showing that the team has remained competitive despite recent changes in leadership. Alpine recently parted ways with team principal Oliver Oakes, but that didn’t seem to impact performance on track.
The biggest surprise came from reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who could only manage seventh for Red Bull. He ended the session 0.360 seconds off the pace, struggling to match the speed of the front runners. Williams’ Alex Albon secured a respectable eighth, closely followed by Kick Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto in ninth. Bortoleto caused a late red flag after losing control at Rivazza 1, but still managed a top-ten finish, highlighting his potential in just his second FP1 appearance.
Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top ten for Kick Sauber, while Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll finished 11th. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc ended up in 12th, slightly behind his teammate Hamilton, while Kimi Antonelli placed 13th in the second Mercedes car. Fernando Alonso followed in 14th for Aston Martin.
Further down the order, Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson placed 15th, ahead of Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, who finished a disappointing 16th. Alpine’s reserve driver Franco Colapinto made a return to FP1, filling in for Jack Doohan for at least the next five races. He ended the session in 17th place.
The bottom three spots went to Ollie Bearman (Haas), Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), and Esteban Ocon (Haas), who struggled to find pace.
As the weekend progresses, all eyes will be on FP2, which is scheduled for Friday, May 16 at 5 PM local time (4 PM BST). Max Verstappen, who claimed his fourth consecutive world championship last season, will be looking to bounce back in the upcoming sessions as he aims to reclai
m the top spot.
