F1 Imola GP: McLaren gets 1-2 in red-flagged FP2

Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have ended Friday running at Formula 1’s Imola GP on top as McLaren looks set to retain its early 2025 advantage, heading an FP2 session red-flagged for Isack Hadjar’s late off.

Piastri had already led the way in FP1 earlier in the afternoon and underlined McLaren’s ominous form. Piastri pipped team-mate Norris by a mere 0.025s but the pair comfortably stayed ahead of the competition.

At the start of the one-hour session Norris immediately took charge with a 1m16.074s on mediums, which was bested by Carlos Sainz in the Williams running on the same compound.

The opening qualifying runs on Pirelli’s softest C6 tyre followed after some 20 minutes, with George Russell the first driver to dip below the 2024 pole time with a 1m15.693s in the Mercedes.

Piastri took a huge chunk out of that time with a 1m15.293s, 0.025s ahead of team-mate Norris. Norris had another go at taking over first place, but despite going quickest in sector two the Briton didn’t improve on his previous lap time.

Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was a surprise third, confirming the solid start the team made in first practice, with Mercedes man Russell in fourth.

World champion Max Verstappen completed a more encouraging session after a scrappy FP1 hampered by balance problems on the Red Bull RB21, but the Dutchman still came four tenths short of challenging the McLarens.

Charles Leclerc was sixth for Ferrari, despite urging his team to address its shortcomings in the Villeneuve, Piratella and Acque Minerali corners.

Isack Hadjar was seventh for Racing Bulls despite a late off in Turn 1’s Tamburello. With eight minutes to go Hadjar got loose on the exit, which sent him spinning off into the gravel trap. The Frenchman was eventually unable to rejoin as his Racing Bulls car ended up beached in the gravel, bringing out a brief red flag.

The session was resumed for two more minutes which allowed teams to conduct the customary practice starts.

Yuki Tsunoda was eighth after a solid afternoon, just one tenth behind his illustrious team-mate, with Williams duo Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon rounding out the top 10.

Lewis Hamilton was a muted 11th for Ferrari after struggling with the brakes, slipping up in the Variante Alta chicane as he did in FP1.

On his F1 return with Alpine, Argentina’s Franco Colapinto finished Friday in 13th place following a clean first day back behind the wheel.

F1 Imola GP – FP2 results

1

 – 

4

1  –  2
Cla	Driver	#		Chassis	Engine	Laps	Time	Interval	Tyres	km/h
1	O. PiastriMcLaren	81		McLaren	Mercedes	28	1’15.293		S	234.715
2	L. NorrisMcLaren	4		McLaren	Mercedes	25	+0.025 1’15.318	0.025	S	234.637
3	P. GaslyAlpine	10		Alpine	Renault	29	+0.276 1’15.569	0.251	S	233.857
4	G. RussellMercedes	63		Mercedes	Mercedes	23	+0.400 1’15.693	0.124	S	233.474
5	M. VerstappenRed Bull Racing	1		Red Bull	Red Bull	26	+0.442 1’15.735	0.042	S	233.345
6	C. LeclercFerrari	16		Ferrari	Ferrari	28	+0.475 1’15.768	0.033	S	233.243
7	I. HadjarRacing Bulls	6		RB	Honda	22	+0.499 1’15.792	0.024	S	233.169
8	Y. TsunodaRed Bull Racing	22		Red Bull	Red Bull	29	+0.534 1’15.827	0.035	S	233.062
9	A. AlbonWilliams	23		Williams	Mercedes	29	+0.623 1’15.916	0.089	S	232.788
10	C. SainzWilliams	55		Williams	Mercedes	29	+0.641 1’15.934	0.018	S	232.733
View full results