P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Charles Leclerc took his upgraded Ferrari to the top of the time sheet for first practice at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. The home Italian team, based just 44 miles northwest of the Imola circuit…
Charles Leclerc showed impressive speed with his upgraded Ferrari during the first practice session at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, topping the time sheets. Ferrari, based close to the Imola circuit, introduced significant updates inspired by Red Bull Racing to close the gap to the series leader. Leclerc set the pace with a time of 1m16.990s, the only driver to break the 77-second barrier. George Russell was second for Mercedes, closely behind Leclerc, while Carlos Sainz made it a strong showing for Ferrari in third place. Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing faced challenges with grip and track temperatures, finishing fifth in the session. Yuki Tsunoda impressed in sixth place for Red Bull Racing, while Lewis Hamilton spun and ended up seventh for Mercedes. McLaren and Alpine drivers rounded out the top ten, with Daniel Ricciardo recovering from an off-track excursion to finish 13th. Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, Logan Sargeant, and Alex Albon completed the mid-field, with Nico Hulkenberg finishing last for Haas.
