P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Oscar Piastri topped a twice red-flagged Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Free Practice 3 session at Imola – as Sergio Perez’s late incident left questions hanging in the air.
Oscar Piastri ranked as the fastest in a twice red-flagged Free Practice 3 for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, with Sergio Perez’s late crash disrupting the final flying laps. Piastri set the top time of 1:15.529 as Perez’s accident caused the session to be stopped with five minutes left on the clock. The session resumed with two minutes remaining, witnessing close calls among drivers. Lando Norris improved to second place, behind Piastri for a McLaren one-two. Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc missed the chance for a final representative qualifying simulation due to Perez’s incident. Verstappen and Perez engaged in a close battle with Ferrari’s Leclerc and Carlos Sainz early in FP3, which was marred by Fernando Alonso’s crash and a red flag. Despite facing challenges, Piastri showcased impressive speed, outperforming Sainz’s leading time to secure the top spot. Perez’s crash at Turn 15 brought out the second red flag, disrupting the final minutes of the session. In the end, Norris, Sainz, Leclerc, and Russell rounded out the top positions of the practice session. Hamilton finished lower than expected due to being on medium tires for his run.
