The favorites are back on track
With the exception of Sainz, the five drivers with the best times are back on the Imola asphalt, looking to improve their times as we approach the last 10 minutes of the first free practice session, which promises to be very eventful.
Leclerc drops from 1.17!
Already with soft tires, like the other six best times, the Monegasque Ferrari driver achieves the best time so far, with 1:16:990, beating Russell and Sainz, who are only +0.130
Hamilton runway departure
Although, luckily, he didn’t touch the wall and got back on the track without any problems.
Best time for Sainz!
Ferrari is approaching the 1:17 barrier, with a time of 1:17:120, which has been achieved with soft tyres. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, is +0.193, but still on medium tires. There are 25 minutes left before the end of the session.
Alonso, far from the fastest
The Asturian driver completed his first lap with a correct time, but very far from the fastest drivers: 1:20:228, a time he managed to improve later (1:19:651), but still 2.5 seconds away at the best time.
Keep practicing!
Green flag on the track and Alonso tries again to complete a correctly timed lap, with 33 minutes remaining in this first free practice session.
Russell is dominant right now
The Mercedes driver sets the best time, ahead of Pistari and his teammate, Lewis Hamilton. After we found Verstappen and Tsunoda, and Carlos Sainz who was in 6th position. Alonso still does not have a valid lap time.
Red flag on the track!
Due to a mechanical problem with the Williams of Briton Alex Albon, who had to stop his car very close to the asphalt. Practice stops and the drivers return to the box.
Russell dropped 1:18
The Mercedes driver only set a lap of 1:17:909 and snatched the best time from Verstappen who had earlier set 1:18:050. Australian McLaren driver Oscar Piastri also broke the 1:18 barrier (1:17:951).
Alonso still has no time to return
Despite being one of the first to start, the Aston Martin driver has not completed any timed laps and is currently in 17th position.
Verstappen imposed his law
The Dutch Red Bull driver, thanks to his 1:18:606, overtook Piastri, who became the first driver to drop 1:19, something Hamilton also did later.
Mercedes dropped from 1:20
Sainz’s ‘joy’ was short-lived, because he saw first Verstappen and, above all, the two Mercedes drivers, Russell (1:19:704) and Hamilton (1.19.709) clearly passed him.. .as the only one below 1:20… until Sainz himself, and his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, did the same.
Best time for Sainz
The Spaniard from Ferrari set a time of 1.21.249
Sainz, on track
The driver of the Spanish Ferrari was one of the first to act
The first free training sessions begin!
And all the cars are waiting for the traffic light to turn green to enter the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit to test the different novelties that almost all the teams will be there. There are many things to try.
The European F1 season is about to begin!
After six GPs, the F1 World Championship lands in Europe, to compete at the Emilia Romagna GP in Italy
weekend program
FRIDAY, MAY 17
1:30 pm – Free practice 1
5:00 pm – Free practice 2
SATURDAY, MAY 18
12:30 pm – Free exercise 3
4:00 pm – Sorting
SUNDAY, MAY 19
3:00 pm – Emilia-Romagna GP Race
Sainz, about his future
“I want to resolve this as soon as possible, but it’s not going to be like that. I’m waiting for all the options to be put on the table and then decide what suits me best.”
Fernando Alonso’s remarks
Alonso: “Hopefully in this GP we can get closer to those at the top”
Bomb shell! in F1
In the middle of the Emilia Romagna F1 GP, in Imola, a few kilometers from the headquarters of Ferrari, with the red tifosi waiting for the many evolutions that their red car will bring and that Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc will test from this Friday for free . training, the ‘bombshell’ departed from england.
The ‘Daily Mail’ published yesterday that Italian sources from the British newspaper confirmed that the best engineer in F1, Adrian Neweyhas already signed his contract to join Ferrari (expected from mid-2025) to work on the car for the new regulation in 2026.
New and exciting Ferrari car
Ferrari will present its first major package of season evolutions at Imola. A few kilometers from its headquarters, the Italian company wants to take the step it needs to get closer to Red Bull and McLaren and perhaps fight for more wins on more tracks.
However, as McLaren do, both Leclerc and Carlos Sainz preferred to stay calm and wait.
“The evolution will not give us four tenths of an improvement per lap. The car is new and the team has made a brutal effort to bring a new car, but the marginal gains we have now in F1 when the rules are so tight… I don’t think anyone can carry four-tenths on a circuit.”
And McLaren, what?
Can McLaren with Verstappen at Imola? For now, those in orange prefer to keep a low profile, although they are not hiding the step forward that the update showed two weeks ago. And Carlos Sainz warned the Spanish press, with MD: “I think the evolution of McLaren is very good in Miami and from what I hear, I think they will also be very fast in Imola.”
Imola, trial by fire for everyone
As our colleague Fabio Marchi commented before the start of the Emilia-Romagna GP, Imola will test Max Verstappen and Red Bull. This weekend is absolutely key for the aspirations of their pursuers. Red Bull surrendered in Miami in a surprising way against a McLaren that was ahead of everyone with a package of improvements that gave great results and debuted Lando Norris’ first victory.
Double day this Friday
The first free practice sessions start at 1:30 pm and the second at 5:00 pm
Good morning
And welcome to Friday’s free practice live at the Emilia Romagna GP held at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit in Imola (Italy)
Live Blog: 1983
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
