FP1: Piastri leads Norris and Sainz in Imola practice

Oscar Piastri led a McLaren one-two in the opening practice session for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, setting a benchmark time ahead of team-mate Lando Norris and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz.

Why it matters: The session provided an early glimpse of pace for McLaren, with Piastri demonstrating strong performance on a track known for its tight and challenging nature. Ferrari, meanwhile, experienced a mixed start, with Sainz showing promise but team-mate Charles Leclerc encountering difficulties.

The details:

• Piastri clocked a lap of 1m 16.545s on the soft tyres, edging out Norris by just 0.032 seconds.
• Carlos Sainz in the Williams secured third, closely followed by George Russell in the Mercedes, with the top four separated by less than a tenth of a second.
• Lewis Hamilton in the other Mercedes-powered Ferrari secured fifth, but reported issues with his helmet fit and the car's braking.
• Several drivers had moments during the session, including Leclerc dipping a wheel into the gravel and Max Verstappen appearing frustrated. Alex Albon also had a brief trip through the gravel.
• The session ended prematurely under red flags after Gabriel Bortoleto crashed his Kick Sauber into the barriers at Turn 18.
• Franco Colapinto made his return to the Alpine in place of Jack Doohan, finishing 17th.

What's next: Teams will analyze the data from this session as they prepare for the second free practice, which will offer further insights into car performance ahead of qualifying.