Charles Leclerc of Ferrari dominated the practice sessions at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, showcasing the effectiveness of Ferrari’s latest upgrades.
He outpaced McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by a narrow margin, with Yuki Tsunoda’s performance in the RB placing him an unexpected third.
Lando Norris, who had shown promise of matching Leclerc’s time, veered off track at the final turn, resulting in a 12th place finish in the practice runs. Max Verstappen, the current championship frontrunner, faced challenges with his car’s handling, particularly in the faster corners, and finished seventh.
Lewis Hamilton secured the fourth fastest time for Mercedes, closely followed by his teammate George Russell. Carlos Sainz of Ferrari took sixth place, while Red Bull’s Sergio Perez was eighth. Rounding out the top ten were Nico Hulkenberg of Haas and Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin.
Verstappen experienced a tough day, voicing his struggles with the car’s grip and balance over the team radio. Despite Red Bull’s own upgrades, he found it difficult to maintain control and perform consistently.
In contrast, Leclerc expressed satisfaction with the new aerodynamic features of his Ferrari, which seemed to work as intended. He remained optimistic but cautious, noting that changing wind conditions could significantly impact the upcoming qualifying sessions.
Norris also displayed competitive form, maintaining the fastest time in the second sector, indicating his potential despite a less than ideal practice session.
During the race-simulation runs, Piastri edged out slightly ahead, followed by Leclerc, Norris, and Hamilton. Tsunoda’s impressive one-lap pace did not translate into consistent long-run performance, hinting at possible strategic choices by RB for the qualifying simulations.
The Mercedes team was encouraged by their upgrades, with Russell acknowledging McLaren’s strong showing, suggesting they might be the team to beat.
Source: BBC Sports.
