World championship leader Oscar Piastri skillfully outpaced his McLaren teammate Lando Norris by a hair’s breadth in a closely-fought Practice One session at the historic Imola circuit. As the first European round of the season and the beginning of three consecutive grands prix, this weekend marked a pivotal moment for teams to introduce significant upgrades to their cars.
As McLaren proudly showcased their enhancements, with Piastri and Norris claiming the top spots on the timesheet, other contenders were not far behind. Williams’ Carlos Sainz, Mercedes’ George Russell, and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton trailed closely within tenths of a second behind Piastri’s stellar performance.
Verstappen’s Frustration
Max Verstappen faced frustration during practice one at Emilia Romagna Grand Prix as he struggled with oversteering issues in his Red Bull car. The Dutch driver was heard venting his annoyance over team radio about the rear end of the upgraded vehicle, even expressing visible exasperation by banging his steering wheel in response.
Red Bull implemented changes to their car’s engine cover and sidepods ahead of this race weekend, drawing comparisons to McLaren’s leading design. Team principal Christian Horner highlighted challenges faced during practice due to evolving track conditions that hindered clean laps for Verstappen and his team.
Alpine’s Solid Start
Following internal team disruptions after a challenging race in Miami, Alpine found stability on track with Pierre Gasly securing sixth place in Practice One. Despite initial setbacks like team boss changes and driver replacements, Alpine aimed for progress as Franco Colapinto settled into his new role alongside Gasly.
A heart-stopping moment occurred towards the end of practice when Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto veered off track and collided with barriers, prompting a red flag to wave abruptly! This unfortunate incident contrasted an otherwise promising start for Sauber drivers who finished ninth and tenth respectively.
The development race heated up as leading teams introduced innovative modifications to gain competitive edges. Ferrari initiated subtle yet crucial alterations at the rear end of their SF-25 model for improved downforce capabilities while Red Bull mirrored McLaren’s aerodynamic updates on their RB21.
Mercedes tackled front-end improvements through suspension adjustments while Aston Martin underwent major changes with Stroll experimenting with seven fresh components compared to Alonso testing older specifications for performance evaluations. Notably, Williams continued focusing on 2026 developments despite their commendable season start.
In light of these enhancements across teams preparing for intense competition at Imola, fans eagerly anticipate an electrifying showdown at the upcoming Emilia Romagna Grand Prix!
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F3 Qualifying kicks off Friday May 16 followed by F2 Qualifying before Emilia Romagna GP Practice Two takes center stage amidst escalating excitement. Saturday features thrilling races including F3 Sprint and F2 Sprint leading up to Emilia Romagna GP Qualifying sessions building anticipation towards Sunday’s main event – The EMILIA ROMAGNA GRAND PRIX live on Sky Sports F1!
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