McLaren flexed its muscle early in the 2025 Formula 1 season as Oscar Piastri topped both Friday practice sessions at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola. The Australian ended the day narrowly ahead of teammate Lando Norris in FP2, underlining the team’s impressive form at a track that rewards precision and downforce. A late red flag caused by Isack Hadjar’s off at Tamburello cut the final practice session short, but not before McLaren had made its intentions clear: they’re here to win.
McLaren Sets the Early Pace
Oscar Piastri picked up where he left off in FP1, setting the pace in the second session with a time of 1m15.293s. Lando Norris wasn’t far behind, clocking a lap just 0.025s off his teammate’s pace, securing a McLaren 1-2 and showcasing the team’s strong early-season form.
Norris had initially taken charge with a 1m16.074s on the medium tyres, only to be eclipsed briefly by Carlos Sainz, who’s now back at Williams. But once the field switched to Pirelli’s softest C6 compound, the real pace emerged.
Mercedes’ George Russell was the first to break under the 2024 pole time, laying down a 1m15.693s, but Piastri responded in kind, finding an extra four-tenths to snatch back the top spot. Norris made one last attempt to reclaim P1, going purple in sector two, but couldn’t better his earlier time.
McLaren’s Friday form puts the Woking-based squad in a commanding position heading into Saturday qualifying, with both drivers showing confidence and consistency across long and short runs.
Gasly and Alpine Surprise, Verstappen Struggles
The standout of the session beyond McLaren was Pierre Gasly, who clocked in third for Alpine. The Frenchman’s strong showing continued from a solid FP1, signaling that Alpine may finally be turning a corner after a sluggish start to the hybrid era.
George Russell’s fourth-place finish kept Mercedes in touch with the front, but the story was different for reigning world champion Max Verstappen. After a shaky FP1 plagued by balance issues, Verstappen had a cleaner FP2 but still couldn’t get closer than four-tenths off the McLaren duo.
For Charles Leclerc, it was another frustrating session. He ended sixth but spent much of the run urging Ferrari to sort out their issues in key corner complexes like Villeneuve, Piratella, and Acque Minerali. With Ferrari under pressure to perform at home, Leclerc’s feedback will likely drive overnight setup changes.
Red Flag Disrupts Final Push
With under ten minutes left in FP2, Isack Hadjar brought out a red flag after spinning into the gravel at Turn 1’s Tamburello chicane. The French rookie had been enjoying a solid session in seventh place for Racing Bulls, before getting loose on corner exit and beaching his car in the gravel.
The session was briefly halted to recover the stricken car, and although green flags returned for a short two-minute window, it was too little time for most teams to complete any meaningful final laps. The disruption also limited any further soft tyre simulations, locking in McLaren’s advantage heading into Saturday.
Yuki Tsunoda, Hadjar’s teammate, finished eighth — just a tenth behind — giving Racing Bulls a rare double top-10 presence in FP2. It’s a result the Faenza-based squad will be eager to replicate in qualifying at their home Grand Prix.
Mixed Fortunes Down the Grid
Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon closed out the top 10, signaling a decent day for Williams, particularly given Sainz’s early pace on mediums. Behind them, Lewis Hamilton had another muted session in 11th. Now driving for Ferrari, the seven-time champion struggled to find rhythm on the brakes and even went wide at Variante Alta — echoing an error he made in FP1.
One of the quiet triumphs of the day belonged to Franco Colapinto, who ended his Friday in 13th. The Argentine returned to F1 action with Alpine and managed a clean session with competitive laps, gaining valuable seat time ahead of what could become a pivotal race weekend for his future prospects.
Further down the grid, the likes of Sergio Pérez and Fernando Alonso stayed under the radar. Both drivers ran limited soft tyre laps, indicating a possible focus on race pace over outright qualifying performance.
News in Brief: McLaren Dominates Friday Practice at Imola
Friday’s running at Imola leaves McLaren firmly in control, with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris delivering a commanding 1-2 in both practice sessions. While Alpine and Williams offered surprises and Red Bull seemed off-color, the field remains tightly bunched behind the papaya duo.
With the potential of rain looming over Saturday’s qualifying session, and several top teams holding back their true pace, Imola is set for an unpredictable weekend. But for now, McLaren heads into Saturday with momentum, confidence, and a car that looks ready to fight for victory — if they can hold off the charging pack behind.
