FP1 Results & Report 2025 Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix

Event: Emilia Romagna F1 GP
Track: Autodromo Imola

Weather: dry  19°C
Tarmac: dry  40°C
Humidity: 31%
Wind: 12.5 km/h

Piastri Leads the Charge as Imola Bites Back in Thrilling FP1

2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Free Practice 1 Report

Formula 1 roared back into Europe with a vengeance as the historic Imola circuit welcomed teams for the first practice session of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend. With a string of upgrades, new tyre compounds, and a home crowd full of expectation, FP1 delivered a spicy start—McLaren led the way, Red Bull struggled, and gravel traps did what gravel traps do best: punish mistakes.

McLaren Set the Pace in Tight Battle Up Front

Oscar Piastri, riding high from a trio of victories, picked up where he left off by setting the fastest time of the opening session. Clocking a 1:16.545, the Aussie edged ahead of team mate Lando Norris by just 0.032s, reinforcing McLaren's recent form and cementing their status as early weekend favourites.

Carlos Sainz slotted into third for Ferrari, just 0.002s ahead of George Russell in P4, while Lewis Hamilton completed the top five. The margin between the top five? A mere tenth of a second—setting up what looks to be a deliciously close weekend ahead.

Bortoleto Brings Out the Red Flags Late On

The session ended prematurely after Gabriel Bortoleto found the limits of Turn 18—quite literally. A trip through the gravel and a hard hit into the barriers ended his FP1 with a bruised Kick Sauber and a flurry of activity for his mechanics.

Thankfully, the Brazilian walked away unscathed, but it was a costly mistake in a session where many were still learning the razor-thin margins of this old-school circuit.

Verstappen’s Rocky Start, Red Bull Playing Catch-Up

While McLaren and Mercedes looked hooked up early, Max Verstappen spent much of FP1 battling his car—and his patience. The RB21 looked a handful on soft tyres, with Max visibly frustrated on team radio as the rear end snapped through multiple corners. He ended the session in P7, completing just 14 laps and leaving plenty of work for Red Bull ahead of FP2.

Helmut Marko might be lighting up the espresso machine as we speak.

Ferrari Fumble, But Show Glimpses of Promise

Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz showed flashes of speed, but the SF-25 didn’t look easy to tame. Leclerc had a wild off through the gravel at Turn 14, while Sainz spent much of the session wrestling the car’s unpredictability.

Despite this, Sainz’s late lap showed there's performance buried under the red bodywork—but unlocking it could be Ferrari’s biggest challenge on home soil.

Midfield Madness: Alpine and Williams Impress, Traffic Wreaks Havoc

Pierre Gasly looked racy in the Alpine, mixing it in the top ten for most of the session. His team mate Franco Colapinto, making another appearance in FP1, had a trickier outing—dipping a wheel in the gravel and struggling with confidence in P19.

Yuki Tsunoda was another traffic victim, caught out by Colapinto into the Villeneuve chicane. With the narrow Imola layout, traffic will be a major storyline heading into qualifying.

Home Hero Antonelli Steady, But Yet to Shine

All eyes were on Kimi Antonelli, racing just half an hour from his hometown. The 18-year-old Mercedes protégé clocked plenty of laps and finished a respectable P13. Given his F2 experience at Imola and a strong showing in Miami, expectations are high. FP1 didn’t show fireworks, but there's more in the tank—count on that.

New Tyres, New Challenges: C6 Proves Tricky

Pirelli rolled out their softest compound yet—the C6—and it’s already proving divisive. While offering peak grip, the tyre seems to drop off rapidly. Several drivers, including Verstappen and Hamilton, struggled to keep the grip alive across a full lap. Albon managed 9 laps on a set, Antonelli an ambitious 14, but race strategy will be all about tyre preservation come Sunday.

Upgrades Galore: The Season Shakes Up in Europe

With Imola kicking off the European leg of the calendar, teams rolled out their first big upgrade packages. Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren all introduced fresh aero or mechanical changes, while Alpine sported a revised front wing and Aston Martin brought a “raft” of updates.

For now, McLaren seem to have hit the ground running, but FP2 will offer a clearer picture once race sims get underway.

FP2 on the Horizon

All eyes now turn to FP2, where teams will focus on long runs and race pace. With the weather stable, track evolution expected, and tensions high, the next session could tell us if anyone has a true edge heading into Saturday’s qualifying.

Stay tuned—and whatever you do, don’t count out Red Bull just yet.

FP1 Times Table 2025 E. Romagna GP

The fastest lap time of last year's FP1 was a 1:16.990 driven by Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari SF-24.

The fastest sectors times during the session where:

• Sector 1: 24.195 sec. by Lewis Hamilton with the Ferrari SF-25.
• Sector 2: 26.496 sec. by Oscar Piastri with the McLaren MCL39.
• Sector 3: 25.587 sec. by Carlos Sainz with the Williams FW47.

✅ Check out our 2025 Emilia Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix preview.

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