Emilia-Romagna GP: Piastri edges out Norris in FP2 as Hamilton slams ‘D….read more
Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets in the second free practice session (FP2) of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, narrowly edging out McLaren teammate Lando Norris in a closely contested Friday afternoon session at Imola. Piastri clocked a best lap of 1:15.293, just 0.025 seconds faster than Norris, highlighting McLaren’s strong form heading into the weekend. Surprisingly, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly claimed the third-fastest time, delivering an unexpected performance that placed him ahead of several frontrunners.
The session unfolded under sunny skies, offering ideal conditions for all 20 drivers, who quickly took to the track within the first five minutes. Lewis Hamilton, making his Italian Grand Prix debut as a Ferrari driver, experienced a bumpy ride throughout FP2. On his initial flying lap, he had a scare at the Tamburello chicane, going wide and compromising his run. His struggles didn’t end there, as Hamilton repeatedly found himself fighting to keep the car on track. At one point, he dipped a wheel into the gravel exiting Variante Alta, and later encountered traffic mid-lap, raising his hand in frustration after being impeded by a slow Sauber and Red Bull. His radio communications hinted at continued dissatisfaction with the car’s braking, expressing anger with the words: “Damn brakes!”
In the opening phase of the session, Norris laid down the early pace on the medium compound tyres, going significantly quicker than Max Verstappen. Piastri slotted in just behind, with both McLaren drivers showing strong pace early on. Norris eventually improved on his own time, setting a new benchmark of 1:15.952 on his second run, reaffirming McLaren’s potential.
Elsewhere on the track, the session had more drama. Fernando Alonso had a near-miss with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto at Tamburello. Colapinto, making his first Formula 1 appearance since the 2024 season finale in Abu Dhabi, was caught moving slowly on the racing line. Alonso was forced to take quick evasive action and later vented his frustration on team radio, stating, “I nearly crashed.”
Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon both found strong pace for Williams, momentarily occupying second and third on the timing sheets as the session progressed, adding more intrigue to the pecking order behind McLaren.
Overall, FP2 provided plenty of storylines—strong pace from McLaren, a standout lap by Gasly, a near incident involving Alonso, and Hamilton continuing to wrestle with his Ferrari setup. As qualifying looms, the battle at Imola is already shaping up to be intense.
