Both free practice sessions on Friday at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix were led by Charles Leclerc.
Charles Leclerc went quickest in FP2 at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to back up his pace from first practice, with a congested multi-team fight at the top.
On Friday, the top five positions were secured by Oscar Piastri, Yuki Tsunoda, Lewis Hamilton, and George Russell. Surprisingly, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, representing Red Bull, could only manage seventh and eighth place respectively.
Charles Leclerc fastest in FP2 as Emilia Romagna GP preparations ramp up
In FP1 earlier today, the drivers faced a challenging task of taming the Imola track. The downhill braking zone at Rivazza caused several offs, and the presence of increased gravel and grass at three corners emphasized the need for precision.
Kevin Magnussen resumed his usual position in the Haas cockpit after Oliver Bearman filled in for him during FP1. Additionally, most of the drivers wasted no time and immediately hit the track to accumulate more laps at Imola on Friday.
Verstappen and Lando Norris were top of the standings after the opening runs, the Red Bull driver just 0.050s ahead of the McLaren and FP1 session-topper Charles Leclerc within a tenth early on, but the true test of pace was yet to come.
Within the initial 10 minutes of the session, Pierre Gasly became the first driver to spin out. While testing the boundaries of his car, he unfortunately took a bit too much of the kerb at the Variante Alta chicane, causing his Alpine to veer onto the grass.
Yuki Tsunoda briefly held the fastest time on medium tires with a lap of 1:16.895, but he was soon overtaken by Leclerc who set a time of 1:16.677. Carlos Sainz followed closely behind, just 0.003s behind his teammate. However, the qualifying simulations on soft tires were yet to come, which would provide a better understanding of their one-lap speed.
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Emilia Romagna GP: Ferrari upgrades fire Charles Leclerc to P1 as Max Verstappen struggles in FP1
Despite George Russell being the first to achieve this feat for Mercedes, he fell short by a tenth compared to Leclerc’s fastest time on medium tires for Ferrari, despite improving his previous best time by over four tenths.
Norris had a significant advantage over Leclerc by over half a second in the initial two sectors. However, his lap abruptly concluded as he went off track at the second Rivazza, veering into the gravel and immediately heading towards the pits.
Leclerc illuminated the timing screens by achieving a time of 1:15.969 on soft tyres, making him the first driver to break into the 1:15s. This impressive feat, seven tenths faster than his previous record, raised hopes among the Tifosi that Ferrari could potentially compete in qualifying.
Verstappen’s slower performance in the second sector prevented him from competing for the top spot. However, Piastri showcased an impressive display by securing the second fastest time for McLaren, falling just a tenth short of Leclerc’s pace. Russell also made progress for Mercedes, claiming the provisional third fastest time during his second run with soft tires. Nevertheless, Hamilton managed to outpace him by a mere 0.014 seconds.
However, Tsunoda showcased his exceptional skills at the Faenza-based team’s home race by clocking a remarkable lap time of 1:16.286, allowing him to secure the P3 spot and surpass the Mercedes duo.
As the session nears its end, the focus shifts to long-term speed, revealing that Norris’s mid-table position does not accurately reflect the McLaren driver’s potential for Saturday’s race.
Verstappen expressed his dissatisfaction with his car once more before gesturing at Hamilton from his cockpit at the Villeneuve Chicane exit. He believed that Hamilton did not clear the way fast enough. To add to his challenging session, Verstappen also ended up in the gravel at Rivazza during his long run, making it a tough session for the three-time World Champion.
However, with the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes, and even Tsunoda in the Red Bull looking competitive, it appears that the World Championship leaders will face a tough challenge this weekend.
Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 2024: FP2 classification
1 Charles LECLERC Ferrari 1:15.906
2 Oscar PIASTRI McLaren +0.192
3 Yuki TSUNODA RB +0.380
4 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes +0.391
5 George RUSSELL Mercedes +0.405
6 Carlos SAINZ Ferrari +0.517
7 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull +0.541
8 Sergio PEREZ Red Bull +0.646
9 Nico HULKENBERG Haas +0.920
10 Fernando ALONSO Aston Martin +0.932
11 Daniel RICCIARDO RB +1.061
12 Lando NORRIS McLaren +1.074 [medium tyres]
13 Lance STROLL Aston Martin +1.085
14 Esteban OCON Alpine +1.102
15 Pierre GASLY Alpine +1.158
16 Valtteri BOTTAS Kick Sauber +1.182
17 Kevin MAGNUSSEN Haas +1.223
18 Alexander ALBON Williams +1.229
19 Guanyu ZHOU Kick Sauber +1.700
20 Logan SARGEANT Williams +1.942
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