EMILIA ROMAGNA GP – Charles Leclerc fastest eight tenths ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz in a wet first practice
Charles Leclerc was fastest in first practice at a wet Imola ahead of qualifying for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. The Monacan set a 29.402 going eight tenths ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz, as Ferrari looked to continue to set the pace ahead of their home race at the Autodromo Internationale Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
Leclerc was over nearly a second and a half faster than the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, in a session which past without major disruption ahead of qualifying later on Friday. Ferrari has looked to be the team to beat in the early races and continues to lead despite the slow start to the session.
Leclerc, who has two wins and a second-place from the first three races, had several spins as he explored the Ferrari’s limits in the wet for the first time, but ended the session laying down an impressive marker for the field. His incident was similar to Lando Norris’s off earlier in the session.
The McLaren driver touched the exit kerb on the exit of Aqua Minerali, looking as if he beached his McLaren, however, was able to unbeach himself allowing the quick resumption of the session.
Verstappen set his fastest lap in the closing moments of the session, following the final red flag caused by Norris who spun off at Acque Minerali with less than ten minutes remaining.
Ferrari looks to still be the team to beat going into this afternoon’s qualifying session, the team has won two of the first three races. But strategy could be key this afternoon going into the sprint, which will set the grid for Sunday’s main Grand Prix.
Kevin Magnussen put his Haas fourth-fastest going half a second faster than his teammate Mick Schumacher. Schumacher going three hundredths faster than the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez, the Mexican setting his fastest time after being the first driver onto the inters, followed by Sainz.
All the drivers appeared to struggle following the switch to inters, but towards the end of the session the circuit appeared to dry up, but the circuit soon had a dry line developed on the circuit. Fernando Alonso put his Alpine seventh-fastest going a quarter of a second faster than Sebastian Vettel and Yuki Tsunoda.
Mercedes appeared to continue to struggle to unlock the performance of the car, George Russell going tenth fastest almost five seconds off the outright pace. Meanwhile his teammate Lewis Hamilton could only manage eighteenth a second and eight tenths off the outright pace.
Valtteri Bottas was eleventh fastest, he was one of two drivers to set his fastest time in the closing moments, despite him also suffering a spin. The Finn was just under half a second faster than the Alpha Tauri of Pierre Gasly, with the second Alpine of Esteban Ocon going thirteenth fastest.
Despite his spin, Norris was just under a tenth and a quarter faster than teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Lance Stroll put his Aston Martin sixteenth going four-tenths faster than Alex Albon, Hamilton eighteenth. With Guanyu Zhou nineteenth ahead of Nicolas Latifi.