In the third practice session at Imola, Oscar Piastri secured a McLaren 1-2 lead.
Here are the full results from the third and final practice session at Imola for the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Oscar Piastri led the way in third practice at Imola, showcasing McLaren’s strength with a remarkable 1-2 finish. Lando Norris closely followed, solidifying the team’s dominance in the practice sessions at Imola.
Oscar Piastri takes top spot as red flags disrupt practice
Red Bull was the center of attention at the beginning of the third practice session due to Max Verstappen’s challenging Friday, where the Dutch driver faced difficulties with grip and balance.
In the first half of FP3, Ferrari took the lead with Carlos Sainz leading Charles Leclerc by a narrow margin of 0.020 seconds on the soft tires. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen secured the third position on the mediums, trailing the leading pair by three-tenths of a second. This delighted the Tifosi, who filled the stands at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
Fernando Alonso caused the session to be halted when he spun out in his Aston Martin at Rivazza with only 30 minutes remaining. This unusual mistake resulted in him crashing into the barriers and damaging the left-rear section of his car. Aston Martin now has a limited amount of time to fix his car before qualifying.
During the session, the corner posed a challenge, possibly due to a tailwind, leading both Logan Sargeant and Oscar Piastri to encounter difficulties and end up in the gravel while navigating through Rivazza.
Just minutes before the session ended, the red flags were waved once more. This happened right after Oscar Piastri took the lead by half a second in his qualifying simulation. Unfortunately, the other leading drivers missed out on their opportunity to improve their times.
With just two minutes remaining, Sergio Perez’s mistake at Variante Alta led to his Red Bull crashing into the barriers, resulting in a stoppage. The session resumed thereafter.
The outcome was a frenzied sprint from the pitlane to the start/finish line as the drivers strived to complete their qualifying simulations. Norris rapidly ascended the rankings, securing second place and contributing to a McLaren 1-2 finish as he crossed the finish line.
During the final flurry of action, numerous drivers found themselves in a chaotic situation, with some even tripping over each other. One particularly intense moment occurred when Kevin Magnussen had to veer off onto the grass in his Haas to avoid two slow RB cars. Despite the chaos, no other drivers were able to improve their lap times.
More on the latest Imola Grand Prix F1 news:
Red Bull’s Imola nightmare continues with late crash in final practice
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Third Practice (FP3) Results – 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
- Oscar Piastri McLaren 1:15.529
- Lando Norris McLaren +0.300
- Carlos Sainz Ferrari +0.538
- Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.558
- George Russell Mercedes +0.566
- Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.837
- Alex Albon Williams +0.941
- Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.952
- Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.014
- Nico Hulkenberg Haas +1.018
- Daniel Ricciardo RB +1.031
- Sergio Perez Red Bull +1.102
- Yuki Tsunoda RB +1.139
- Valtteri Bottas Sauber +1.166
- Logan Sargeant Williams +1.265
- Kevin Magnussen Haas +1.394
- Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +1.431
- Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +1.810
- Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.832
- Zhou Guanyu Sauber +2.362
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