McLaren Dominance: Piastri Leads Norris for Second Session. McLaren reinforced their strong start to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend, with Oscar Piastri once again leading the way in the second free practice session. He edged out his teammate Lando Norris by a mere 0.025 seconds, securing a McLaren 1-2 for the second time on Friday.
Early Pace: Norris and Sainz Trade Top Spot. It was Norris who initially set the pace in FP2, posting a lap time of 1:16.074 on the C5 Medium Pirelli tyres. However, his time was soon bettered by Williams’ Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard, who had also performed well in the morning session, used the same Medium compound to take the early lead.
Soft Tyre Runs: Russell Briefly Leads Before Piastri Takes Over. As the session progressed and with about a third completed, teams began switching to the softer C6 tyres. Mercedes’ George Russell was the first to capitalize on the increased grip, setting a leading time of 1:15.693. However, Piastri quickly responded, setting a significantly faster lap of 1:15.293. Norris slotted in behind his McLaren teammate, just 0.025 seconds adrift. Despite setting the fastest time in the middle sector on a subsequent run, Norris couldn’t displace Piastri from the top of the leaderboard.
Gasly Impresses: Alpine Secures Third Place. Pierre Gasly delivered a noteworthy performance for Alpine, finishing the session in third place. This strong showing followed his sixth-place finish in the earlier practice, suggesting a potentially competitive weekend for the French team. Russell’s soft tyre lap ultimately placed him fourth.
Verstappen Improves: Fifth After Balance Issues. Max Verstappen, who had reported balance problems with his Red Bull RB21 in FP1, appeared more comfortable in the second session. However, the reigning world champion still finished the session 0.442 seconds behind Piastri in fifth place.
Leclerc in Sixth: Ferrari Off the Pace. Charles Leclerc was the highest-placed Ferrari driver in sixth position, indicating that the home team still has work to do to match the pace of McLaren and Alpine.
Hadjar’s Incident: Red Flag Ends Session Early. Isack Hadjar, driving for Racing Bulls, finished the session in seventh place, a commendable performance that was unfortunately overshadowed by a late incident. With just eight minutes remaining on the clock, Hadjar lost control of his VCARB02 on the exit of the Tamburello chicane. He spun off the track and made contact with the barriers. Although the damage appeared minimal, Hadjar managed to bring his car to the edge of the gravel trap. However, as he stopped to allow other cars to pass, his car became beached in the gravel, necessitating a red flag to allow for its recovery. The session was briefly resumed, allowing teams to conduct their customary practice starts.
Tsunoda Eighth: Red Bull Split. Yuki Tsunoda in the other Red Bull car finished the session in eighth place, just a tenth of a second behind his teammate Verstappen.
Williams in Ninth and Tenth: Sainz Ahead of Albon. Carlos Sainz eventually finished the session in ninth place, with his Williams teammate Alexander Albon rounding out the top ten.
Hamilton Eleventh: Ferrari Struggles Continue. Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari finished in eleventh place, further highlighting a challenging day for the Italian team at their home circuit.
Colapinto Thirteenth: Alpine Return. Franco Colapinto, making his Formula 1 return with Alpine, finished Friday in 13th position.
Free Practice 2 Results:
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes) – 1:15.293
- Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes) – 1:15.318 (+0.025)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine/Renault) – 1:15.569 (+0.276)
- George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:15.693 (+0.400)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Honda RBPT) – 1:15.735 (+0.442)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:15.768 (+0.475)
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT) – 1:15.792 (+0.499)
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull/Honda RBPT) – 1:15.827 (+0.534)
- Alexander Albon (Williams/Mercedes) – 1:15.916 (+0.623)
- Carlos Sainz (Williams/Mercedes) – 1:15.934 (+0.641)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:15.943 (+0.650)
- Oliver Bearman (Haas/Ferrari) – 1:16.009 (+0.716)
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine/Renault) – 1:16.044 (+0.751)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin/Mercedes) – 1:16.220 (+0.927)
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT) – 1:16.255 (+0.962)
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber/Ferrari) – 1:16.339 (+1.046)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin/Mercedes) – 1:16.341 (+1.048)
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:16.406 (+1.113)
- Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber/Ferrari) – 1:16.419 (+1.126)
- Esteban Ocon (Haas/Ferrari) – 1:16.420 (+1.127)
Summary: McLaren continued their impressive form at Imola, securing a 1-2 finish in the second free practice session with Oscar Piastri leading Lando Norris. Pierre Gasly was a strong third for Alpine. The session was interrupted towards the end by a red flag caused by Isack Hadjar’s off. Ferrari struggled to match the pace of the frontrunners on their home circuit.
Disclaimer: Results are from the second free practice session and do not necessarily reflect the final outcome of the race weekend.
Source: FIA
AI Assistance: Gemini