Piastri leads McLaren one-two in first Imola opening practice

Formula One championship leader Oscar Piastri led a McLaren one-two in Friday’s first practice session for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, which ended early after a late crash by Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto.

Piastri, the winner of four of the last five races, set the pace at the Imola circuit with a lap time of 1:16.545 on soft tyres. Teammate Lando Norris trailed by just 0.032 seconds on a sunny afternoon as the European leg of the F1 season begins.

The session was red-flagged and not resumed after Brazilian rookie Bortoleto hit the tyre wall with three minutes remaining. He walked away unhurt.

Williams' Carlos Sainz was third quickest, just 0.052 seconds behind Piastri, followed closely by Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who was 0.096 seconds off the top time in his first race in Italy as a Ferrari driver.

Pierre Gasly placed sixth for Alpine, while defending champion Max Verstappen, who won at Imola last year, was seventh for Red Bull. Verstappen expressed frustration over team radio, saying, “I can’t rely on the rear. It feels like I’m drifting everywhere.”

Williams' Alex Albon finished eighth, ahead of Bortoleto in ninth and teammate Nico Hulkenberg in tenth.

Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli, 18, preparing for his first home race, was 13th for Mercedes. Alpine debutant Franco Colapinto, replacing Jack Doohan, ended the session 17th.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, recovering from illness, placed 12th after a brief off-track excursion and noted issues with his helmet during the run.

Piastri currently leads Norris by 16 points after six races in a 24-round season.