The historic, sunny Imola circuit kicked off the European leg of this season, and today’s sessions were full of action. The afternoon Free Practice 2 was dedicated mainly to qualifying simulation runs. As always, McLaren led the field, but the others were not far behind.
The medium tyre was the choice for most at the start of the session, and the field was closer than ever. After a few laps of running, 13 drivers were squeezed into just 0.942 seconds.
Williams is a team on the rise. Their performance has been turning heads since the start of the season, as they currently stand fifth in the Constructors’ Championship with 37 points. This session was once again a strong performance from the British team. Both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz competed for top spots, especially on the medium compound, and overall finished the session in the top 10.
Another strong team in the first half of the session was Alpine. After some controversial moves, the French team remains a hot topic in the paddock. Even though Franco Colapinto is still getting used to the car and the new team dynamics, the Argentinian was competitive in the midfield. His experienced teammate, Pierre Gasly, jumped up the timesheets and finished the session in P3.
With 35 minutes left, soft tyres and qualifying stints dominated the grid. McLaren, keeping their momentum – especially with Oscar Piastri – topped the timesheets, with only 0.025 seconds between him and Lando Norris.
Ferrari, on the other hand, struggled again. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc complained over the radio that they were not happy with their brakes. Leclerc even noted that the situation was critical, and that the Italian team needs to find a solution.
Kimi Antonelli is enjoying the dream of his first Formula 1 home race; however, this session was far from dreamy for the rookie. Antonelli has been very competitive so far, but didn’t break into the top 10 once and he ended the session in P18. His experienced teammate, George Russell, was the one to keep Mercedes near the top, ultimately finishing in P4.
With six minutes left in the session, Isack Hadjar brought out a red flag. Losing the apex and sliding onto the grass, the Racing Bulls car ended up in the barrier. Thanks to the marshals’ quick work clearing the damage, cars were back on track with just a minute and a half left – enough time for one more lap, leaving the session open for more action tomorrow.
The overall session was incredibly close. With 15 drivers separated by just one second, the qualifying session will be merciless. Every small detail will be crucial, and given that Imola is not an easy circuit to overtake on, every position will be extremely important for Sunday’s race.