P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Oh Max! Clearly unhappy and not simply because his McLaren rivals were out in front.
Championship leader Piastri narrowly edged out his teammate Norris by just 0.032s in a session cut short by red flags caused by Stake’s Bortoleto. Verstappen struggled with his RB21, finishing seventh and expressing frustration over his car’s handling. McLaren’s Piastri and Norris set the pace at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.
Teams like Aston Martin and Haas tested new upgrades, while Mercedes opted to run with its updates on both cars. Pirelli introduced the new C6 compound, expected to lead to faster qualifying times on Saturday. Williams and Stake were the only teams without upgrades during the practice session.
Verstappen and Russell traded fastest times before Piastri ultimately took the lead. Williams showed strong pace with Albon and Sainz impressing, while Hamilton’s lap was compromised by traffic. Colapinto caused Hamilton to back off during his fast lap, impacting his performance in the session.
