Emilia Romagna GP: Oscar Piastri fastest from Lando Norris as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc suffer brake issues in Imola second practice

Oscar Piastri edged out Lando Norris in the second practice session, securing a strong start for McLaren on Friday at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Piastri, currently 16 points ahead of Norris in the championship standings, finished just 0.025 seconds faster than his teammate. Pierre Gasly of Alpine was a surprising third fastest.

George Russell of Mercedes was four tenths behind the leading time in fourth place, closely followed by Max Verstappen for Red Bull in fifth, and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari in sixth.

Both Ferrari drivers encountered brake problems; Leclerc in sixth and teammate Lewis Hamilton, who finished 11th. Ferrari even dismantled Hamilton`s brakes mid-session to address the issue.

Ferrari, like other top teams, introduced upgrades for their home race at Imola, targeting rear instability. However, Hamilton`s significant 0.650-second gap to Piastri suggests these updates may not have delivered the expected performance gains.

In other news, Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls spun at the fast first chicane, hitting the barrier and getting stuck in the gravel while attempting to rejoin.

Despite the spin, Hadjar managed seventh, ahead of Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) in eighth, Alex Albon (Williams) in ninth, and Carlos Sainz (Williams) in tenth.

Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli struggled to complete a clean fast lap, ending the day 18th in his first competitive session on home ground.

Franco Colapinto secured 13th place on his debut Friday for Alpine, beginning his five-race stint replacing Jack Doohan.

McLaren Pace: Piastri vs Norris

While Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari aimed to close the gap with their upgrades, Friday`s practice implied that qualifying could be a fight for pole position primarily between McLaren teammates Piastri and Norris.

Although competitors often find more pace by qualifying, McLaren`s own updates appear effective, and both Piastri and Norris felt they could have gone even faster.

Piastri`s fastest lap was affected by turbulent air from a car ahead in the final corner, while Norris had a significant slide at Turn 18 on a lap that could have put him on top.

“We`ve seen before that we look strong on Friday, but then everyone else finds more pace for qualifying,” Piastri commented. “We still need to improve slightly, but overall, things went smoothly. The car feels good. There are a few adjustments needed, but it was a decent start.”

“Qualifying is crucial at most tracks, especially here in Imola. Right now, I don`t think the fight for pole will be just between Lando and me. Several other drivers will likely be in the mix, so we must stay focused and try to extract more performance.”

Norris mentioned feeling he had improved his performance in Miami after earlier difficulties adapting to the car compared to the previous season.

The British driver described fully understanding the car as a “long-term project” but expressed general satisfaction with his performance on Friday.

“I`m sure Oscar will find improvements as well. We often look strong in FP2, perhaps better than others, but then they catch up by qualifying,” he noted. “We aren`t in a comfortable position; there`s still work needed. Alpine showed good pace, as they often do here. I expect Red Bull and Mercedes to improve significantly for qualifying. So, no room for complacency. Still, it was a productive Friday.”

Verstappen`s Struggles and Gasly`s Wildlife Encounter

Defending world champion Max Verstappen expressed dissatisfaction with the rear stability of his Red Bull car during first practice. Despite considerable setup changes throughout Friday, Red Bull remained nearly half a second adrift of McLaren`s pace.

“We tested many different components. Some were better than others, but currently, we just aren`t quick enough,” he stated. “We need to work on improving the corner balance to gain speed. This also applies to the long runs. The McLarens overtook me and pulled away, which tells you everything. Overall, even against other teams nearby, it was a challenging day.”

Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly described his Friday as his “best so far,” achieving sixth in FP1 and third in FP2. However, the Alpine driver also reported hitting a rabbit during the first session.

“Unfortunately, a large rabbit jumped onto the track right in front of me, and I couldn`t avoid it. This caused a significant impact to the front wing,” Gasly explained. “Sadly, that was the end for the rabbit, and it broke my front wing. It`s frustrating because we always try to take care of our components, and incidents like that are not ideal.”

Emilia Romagna GP Practice Two Timesheet