P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Two McLaren one-twos in Friday practice, spearheaded by championship-leading Oscar Piastri. Do their rivals stand a chance?
The field at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was tightly packed, with only half a second separating the 11 drivers from Gasly in third to Colapinto in 13th place. The gap between the team-mates at Alpine was minimal throughout the practice sessions, with Gasly slightly trailing behind.
McLaren showed strong potential as Piastri and Norris topped both practice sessions, hinting at a potential dominance over the weekend. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Leclerc and Hamilton faced challenges and struggled to keep up with the leading pack.
Despite improvements and new developments like the C6 tire by Pirelli, Piastri’s leading pace was still behind Verstappen’s pole from the previous year. The practice sessions were eventful with red flags caused by incidents involving Bortoleto and Hadjar.
Mercedes introduced a new front wing in preparation for upcoming regulations, while Red Bull’s Verstappen and Ferrari’s Leclerc faced tough competition. The session ended with Ocon bringing up the rear over a second behind the leading Piastri, setting the stage for an exciting qualifying session and race ahead.
