McLaren stamped their authority on Friday at Imola, locking out both practice sessions as Oscar Piastri narrowly edged team-mate Lando Norris in FP2 to cap a perfect start to the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend. In what was the most representative session ahead of Saturday qualifying, Piastri posted a 1:15.293 to go just 0.025s quicker than Norris — continuing his strong form at the top of the 2025 F1 season standings.
What To Know?
- McLaren Stay On Top: Oscar Piastri led another McLaren 1-2 in FP2, narrowly beating Lando Norris by 0.025s as the team continued its dominant start to the Emilia Romagna weekend.
- Tight Midfield, Red Flags Return: Pierre Gasly surprised with third for Alpine, while Isack Hadjar brought out a late red flag after spinning at Tamburello — but still ended as top rookie in seventh.
- Ferrari Struggles Continue: Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton battled brake issues on their upgraded Ferraris, with Hamilton finishing 11th after extensive mid-session adjustments.
The session unfolded in dry, sunny conditions, with drivers wasting no time getting to work on the narrow and unforgiving Imola circuit. Norris initially led the timesheets on medium tyres before soft-tyre runs saw the pace ramp up quickly. George Russell and Max Verstappen traded top spots early on with their first laps on Pirelli’s debuting C6 compound, but it was the McLarens who ultimately rose to the top once the qualifying simulations settled in.
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Behind the McLaren duo, Pierre Gasly delivered a standout performance to go third for Alpine, continuing the team’s promising pace across both sessions. Russell ended up fourth for Mercedes, just ahead of Verstappen, who once again expressed frustration over Red Bull’s handling — complaining of “bottoming” through the middle sector. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took sixth but was hampered by braking issues that also plagued Lewis Hamilton, prompting Ferrari to strip down Hamilton’s brakes mid-session in search of answers.
The session wasn’t without incident. Isack Hadjar brought out a late red flag after spinning at the Tamburello chicane and beaching his Racing Bulls car in the gravel. Despite the crash, Hadjar finished seventh overall, the top rookie of the day ahead of Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, and the Williams pair of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, who rounded out the top 10.
Kimi Antonelli endured a frustrating session on home soil, tangled in traffic and unable to hook up a clean lap, ending the day down in 18th. Franco Colapinto, in his first weekend for Alpine, had a cleaner run and finished 13th, even briefly going wheel-to-wheel with Verstappen at Tosa.
Further back, Hamilton’s compromised Ferrari placed 11th, while Fernando Alonso led Aston Martin in 14th ahead of Liam Lawson and Gabriel Bortoleto. Lance Stroll was 17th, with Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, and Ollie Bearman bringing up the rear for Haas.
With two red-flagged sessions, razor-thin margins at the front, and plenty of teams still battling setup gremlins, the stage was set for a fascinating qualifying showdown in what was shaping up to be a pivotal weekend in the 2025 F1 season.
2025 Emilia Romagna GP FP2 Results
2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix FP2, 16 May 2025
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:15.293 | 28 | |
| 2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:15.318 | +0.025s | 25 |
| 3 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:15.569 | +0.276s | 29 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:15.693 | +0.400s | 23 |
| 5 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:15.735 | +0.442s | 26 |
| 6 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:15.768 | +0.475s | 28 |
| 7 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:15.792 | +0.499s | 22 |
| 8 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:15.827 | +0.534s | 29 |
| 9 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:15.916 | +0.623s | 29 |
| 10 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:15.934 | +0.641s | 29 |
| 11 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:15.943 | +0.650s | 26 |
| 12 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:16.009 | +0.716s | 26 |
| 13 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine Renault | 1:16.044 | +0.751s | 29 |
| 14 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:16.220 | +0.927s | 21 |
| 15 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:16.255 | +0.962s | 22 |
| 16 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:16.339 | +1.046s | 27 |
| 17 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:16.341 | +1.048s | 23 |
| 18 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:16.406 | +1.113s | 27 |
| 19 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:16.419 | +1.126s | 26 |
| 20 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 1:16.420 | +1.127s | 24 |
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