Emilia Romagna GP Practice One Report

McLaren`s Oscar Piastri narrowly led the way in the opening practice session for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, finishing just ahead of his teammate Lando Norris. This competitive start to the weekend saw many leading teams unveil significant car upgrade packages.

The historic Imola circuit hosts the first European round of the season, kicking off a busy period with three races in consecutive weekends. Teams had circled this event as a prime opportunity to introduce their first major performance updates of the year.

McLaren set the early pace, with Piastri and Norris occupying the top two spots. However, the session proved tight, with the top five drivers from three different teams separated by less than a tenth of a second.

Piastri`s fastest lap was a 1:16.545, marginally quicker than Norris by just 0.032 seconds.

Joining the McLaren duo in the top five were Ferrari`s Carlos Sainz, Mercedes` George Russell, and Ferrari`s Lewis Hamilton, all within 0.096 seconds of the leading time.

Hamilton had earlier reported issues with his Ferrari`s brakes and went off track at the Variante Alta chicane during the session. His teammate Charles Leclerc, returning after missing Thursday`s media duties due to illness, was 12th quickest.

Championship leader Max Verstappen finished seventh, 0.3 seconds off the pace. He was heard expressing frustration over Red Bull team radio about the rear end of his upgraded car, even hitting his steering wheel at one point.

Red Bull`s updates for the weekend included revisions to the engine cover and sidepods, with their design noted as being similar to McLaren`s approach. Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner commented that the “track was evolving pretty quickly” and that they “didn`t get clean laps or a proper lap in on those second set of tyres.”

Max Verstappen showing frustration with his car during Practice One.

For Alpine, a turbulent week following the Miami race saw team boss Oliver Oakes depart and reserve driver Franco Colapinto step into Jack Doohan`s seat. Despite this, Pierre Gasly had a solid start on track, finishing sixth fastest.

Colapinto was 17th, 0.7 seconds behind Gasly, and will aim to reduce that gap as he gains more experience and confidence in the car.

The session concluded under a red flag with just two minutes remaining after Sauber`s Gabriel Bortoleto went off track and hit the barriers at the second Rivazza corner.

Despite Bortoleto`s crash, it was an otherwise encouraging start for Sauber, with Bortoleto finishing ninth and Nico Hulkenberg tenth.

Car Upgrades Introduced at Imola

As the development race intensifies, several teams brought significant updates to Imola:

• Ferrari: For their home race, Ferrari introduced what were described as “small but hopefully significant” changes to the rear of the SF-25, including a different rear wing for increased downforce and revisions to the rear corners.
• Red Bull: The RB21 featured a reprofiled engine cover and air inlet, noted for resembling McLaren`s design, along with rear suspension and rear corner revisions.
• McLaren: The fastest car in the session also had updates, including rear changes and a new front suspension.
• Mercedes: Their modifications for Imola focused on the front of the car, with suspension and front wing alterations.
• Aston Martin: Struggling Aston Martin unveiled the most extensive upgrade package. Lance Stroll tested seven new components, while Fernando Alonso ran the older specification for comparison.

Notably, only Williams and Sauber did not introduce any new parts this weekend. Williams has already shifted much of their development focus towards the significant rule changes planned for 2026, despite their improved form this season.

Emilia Romagna GP Practice One Timesheet