The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix roared into life with a gripping first practice session at Imola, where McLaren’s Oscar Piastri dominated.
McLaren stormed to the top, with Oscar Piastri setting a scorching 1:16.545 to lead the field, edging out teammate Lando Norris by just 0.032 seconds.
Williams followed closely, with Carlos Sainz 0.052 seconds off Piastri’s pace, while Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton completed a razor-tight top five, all within a tenth of a second.
Drama unfolded early. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso narrowly escaped a clash, with Alonso warning over the radio, “I nearly crashed with Leclerc.” Leclerc offered a apologetic hand gesture but later grumbled about “horrible” helmet lift.
Hamilton, too, struggled, reporting, “The car won’t stop at the moment,” after missing the chicane.
Pirelli’s new C6 soft tyre, the grippiest in their 2025 lineup, shaped the session. Russell leveraged it to briefly lead with a 1:16.599, but Williams’ Alex Albon and Sainz noted rapid performance drop-off.
Albon clocked the fastest first sector yet fell to eighth, while Sainz salvaged third with a strong second lap on the same set.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen battled a wayward RB21, sliding through the final corner and finishing seventh, 0.360 seconds adrift. “It’s sliding a lot,” he told his team, visibly frustrated.
Mercedes’ Italian protege Kimi Antonelli electrified the home crowd, briefly topping the times with a lap 0.017 seconds faster than Norris early in the session.
However, Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto ended the session in the barriers, crashing nose-first with two minutes left, prompting a red flag that concluded proceedings.
Haas encountered setup woes, with Oliver Bearman pitting after three laps for ride height and suspension adjustments to their upgraded VF-25. Alpine impressed, with Pierre Gasly claiming sixth, while Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Ferrari’s Leclerc languished in 11th and 12th.
Imola’s shaping up for a thriller!” Fans await FP2 to see if Red Bull can rebound or if McLaren will maintain their stranglehold.
The 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, kicking off Formula 1’s European leg, spans 63 laps of the 4.909-kilometre Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari on Sunday, May 18.
Emilia Romagna FP1 Results:
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:16.545
2 Lando Norris McLaren +0.032
3 Carlos Sainz Williams +0.052
4 George Russell Mercedes +0.054
5 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.096
6 Pierre Gasly Alpine +0.151
7 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +.360
8 Alexander Albon Williams +0.377
9 Gabriel Bortoleto Kick Sauber +0.380
10 Nico Hulkenberg Kick Sauber +0.453
11 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +0.487
12 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.532
13 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.549
14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.576
15 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls +0.741
16 Yuki Tsunoda Red Bull Racing +0.811
17 Franco Colapinto Alpine +0.828
18 Oliver Bearman Haas F1 Team +0.901
19 Isack Hadjar Racing Bulls +1.096
20 Esteban Ocon Haas F1 Team +1.117
