Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix 2025: Oscar Piastri leads FP1, Carlos Sainz finishes third
The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix got underway in Imola, Italy, on Friday, with the First Free Practice (FP1) session taking place under sunny and dry conditions. McLaren continued its impressive form, with Oscar Piastri topping the timesheets and teammate Lando Norris following closely in second. Carlos Sainz, driving for Williams, delivered a strong performance to secure third place in the opening session. Here are the key highlights from FP1 ahead of the much-anticipated main race at Imola.
Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix FP1 Highlights
As reported by Formula1.com, the high track temperatures caused significant tyre degradation, with several drivers struggling to maintain grip in the hot and dry conditions. Oscar Piastri once again demonstrated his dominance this season by leading the Imola FP1 session, having already claimed victory in four out of six Grands Prix so far. Carlos Sainz's performance marked a refreshing improvement, securing the third-fastest time. Mercedes' George Russell followed closely behind in fourth.
Lewis Hamilton, racing for Ferrari on the team's home turf for the first time, received a warm reception from the crowd. He completed FP1 in fifth place. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, returned to action after missing Thursday's media duties due to illness but could only manage a 12th-place finish in the practice session.
Both Ferrari drivers encountered separate issues with their cars during FP1. Leclerc described the helmet lift as 'horrible,' while Hamilton reported problems with braking, stating that his car 'refused to slow down,' according to Formula1.com.
Local favorite Kimi Antonelli, who recently revealed he lives just 30 minutes away from the Imola circuit, couldn't match his usual pace and finished 13th. His teammate Max Verstappen ended the session in seventh place and appeared visibly frustrated while contending with an issue in his Red Bull.
Franco Colapinto, temporarily replacing Jack Doohan at Alpine for five races, ended his session in 17th place. Meanwhile, the other Alpine driver, Pierre Gasly, impressed with a sixth-place finish. Kick Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto, despite suffering a crash during the session, secured ninth place in a commendable recovery.
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FP1 will be followed by FP2 later on Friday, while FP3 and the Qualifying session are scheduled for Saturday. The main Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix race will take place on Sunday.
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