Imola FP1: McLaren 1-2 with Piastri leading, Bortoleto summons the red flag

The Formula 1 circus has rolled into historic Imola for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, and the opening practice session has already provided its fair share of talking points, drama, and tantalizing glimpses of the potential pecking order. Underneath largely clear Italian skies, with an air temperature of a pleasant 19.5°C and a track temperature heating up to 39.6°C, teams and drivers got their first taste of the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari for the 2025 season. While the rainfall gauge remained at zero, a gentle 3.4 mph wind added a subtle challenge. This European leg of the championship kicks off with many narratives still buzzing from a frantic previous outing, and FP1 has only fanned those flames.

Early Runs and Familiar Challenges at Imola

As the green light illuminated the end of the pit lane, the customary flurry of installation laps began. With Imola being a classic, old-school circuit, every minute of track time is precious for data gathering and acclimatization. The session was quickly punctuated by the usual radio chatter as drivers reported initial feedback. Charles Leclerc, now with Ferrari, was one of the first to voice concerns, initially mentioning "so much leaves at the point to turn one" and requesting a shield, later followed by a remark on the helmet padding: "Uh those pre-drills just too small. Hasn't done a difference, it's like less than a mil." His teammate Lewis Hamilton, also in Ferrari colours for 2025, reported early on that "the car doesn't want to stop," hinting at potential braking setup challenges.

The challenge of Imola’s bumps and kerbs was immediately apparent. Gabriel Bortoleto, having an FP1 outing with Kick Sauber, radioed in: "check at the right height. I'm bottoming so much in the straights, it's like crazy. I cannot even keep the head straight." This sentiment was echoed by Mercedes' George Russell who noted "Lots of uh bottoming and like uh from Kimi exit turn four, entry turn five," referring to his rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli. These early comments underscored the teams' initial battles: taming the cars over Imola's demanding surface while searching for the optimal setup window.

Rookie Focus and Valuable Track Time

Several rookie and young drivers were given crucial F1 machinery experience in this FP1 session. Kimi Antonelli was in the Mercedes, Gabriel Bortoleto for Kick Sauber, Isack Hadjar for Racing Bulls, Franco Colapinto for Alpine, and Oliver Bearman for Haas F1 Team. For these drivers, sessions like FP1 are invaluable for mileage and understanding the complexities of current F1 cars. Antonelli, Bearman, Bortoleto, and Hadjar's presence on track continues the trend of teams fulfilling their mandatory rookie practice run obligations, providing a fresh look at emerging talent. Antonelli, in particular, comes into the weekend with a point to prove after the mixed emotions from the recent Miami event, where a Sprint pole was followed by a challenging race.

Bortoleto Crash Brings Out the Red Flags

The most significant drama of Practice 1 unfolded approximately 57 minutes into the session. Kick Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto, who had earlier complained about excessive bottoming, lost control of his car. His subsequent radio message was succinct and alarming: "I crashed." His engineer responded, "Okay mate. Are you okay mate?" to which Bortoleto confirmed, "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm okay. Okay, I think it was just the front wing."

Despite his assessment that only the front wing was damaged, the incident was serious enough for Race Control to deploy double yellow flags in Sector 18 and 19, disable DRS Zone 1, and then just moments later, at 12:27 local time, the session was red-flagged. This stoppage, lasting around six minutes before the "TRACK CLEAR" message appeared, significantly ate into the teams' run plans. For Bortoleto, it was a tough end to his FP1 outing, but thankfully he emerged unscathed. The incident occurred in the challenging final sector of the Imola circuit, around the Rivazza corners.

Verstappen Voices Early Concerns

Reigning champion Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull, also had his share of early struggles. He was heard on the radio complaining about the car's handling: "Yeah, I can't rely on the rear." This suggests the Red Bull machine might not be in its sweet spot yet around the bumps and kerbs of Imola, a crucial factor for qualifying pace and race consistency.

McLaren Set the Pace, Echoing Miami Dominance?

As the clock ticked down and the session concluded, the timing screens painted an interesting picture, one that eerily reflected the dominance McLaren showcased just weeks ago in Miami. Oscar Piastri, who took a stunning victory in Miami for his fourth win of the season, topped the timesheets in FP1 with a 1:16.545, set on the soft compound tyre. His McLaren teammate, Lando Norris, fresh off his own Miami Sprint race win, was a mere 0.032 seconds behind, also on softs, making it a McLaren 1-2 to kick off the Imola weekend.

This performance immediately brings to mind the narrative from that dramatic Miami Grand Prix. McLaren had then unleashed their full pace, schooling the rest of the field. As Zak Brown commented during that Miami race, regarding a potential Piastri-Norris battle, "I think they'll get close... Piastri might be managing and have more in hand." The big difference in that Miami race, according to post-race analysis, was how long each McLaren was held up by Verstappen. Piastri managed to get past the Dutchman sooner and cleaner, building a decisive lead. Norris, after that event, was left needing to find an answer for Piastri’s searing pace. Could this FP1 at Imola be the first sign that the papaya cars are once again the team to beat, carrying their Miami momentum onto European soil? The transcription from Miami highlighted Piastri's class, leading to his fourth win of that season and extending his championship lead. FP1 at Imola suggests he’s keen to continue that form.

Williams and Mercedes in the Mix, Ferrari with Work to Do

Perhaps one of the bigger surprises on the FP1 timing sheet was Carlos Sainz, now driving for Williams in this 2025 season, slotting into P3. His best time of 1:16.597, just 0.052s off Piastri, was also set on softs. This performance backs up the strong showing Williams had in Miami, where Alex Albon came home a brilliant fifth and Sainz (then in a different car) ninth, helping Williams cement P5 in the Championship, 17 points clear of Haas. Albon himself was P8 in this Imola FP1, suggesting the Williams chassis is working well.

Mercedes showed solid, if not spectacular, pace. George Russell, who has made a habit of picking up podiums this season (including a fortunate one in Miami after starting on hards and benefiting from a VSC), finished FP1 in P4 with a 1:16.599. His rookie teammate, Kimi Antonelli, was further back in P13. Russell had previously voiced concerns about tyre wear, particularly after Mercedes' struggles in Jeddah, and that will be on his mind as the Imola weekend progresses.

Ferrari, hoping for a strong showing on home turf, found themselves slightly further down. Lewis Hamilton was the faster of the two in P5 (1:16.641), while Charles Leclerc ended the session in P12 (1:17.077). The transcription's note from Miami that Ferrari were "not at the races this weekend" and that both drivers felt the car wasn't quick enough will be a concern for the Tifosi if this trend continues. Hamilton’s Sprint ‘podium’ in Miami was more down to strategy than outright pace, and his inability to make Q3 for that Grand Prix underlined their struggles.

Looking Ahead to the Imola Weekend

Practice 1 at Imola has thrown up an intriguing mix of expected pacesetters and surprising performances. McLaren’s early 1-2, spearheaded by current championship leader Oscar Piastri, suggests their Miami dominance could be a continuing trend. Williams, with Sainz showing strong pace, also look like a team to watch. Red Bull and Ferrari appear to have some homework to do to unlock more performance, with Verstappen and Hamilton both reporting early challenges.

The session wasn't without its drama, with Gabriel Bortoleto’s red-flag-inducing crash being the main incident. Thankfully, the young Brazilian walked away unharmed. With the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari always a challenging circuit, and with teams still gathering crucial data on tyre wear (Pirelli predicting a one-stop medium-hard strategy, but noting softer compounds this year), the picture can still change significantly.

As the teams delve into the data from this opening hour of running, all eyes will be on how the setup adjustments play out in Practice 2. Will McLaren maintain their advantage? Can Red Bull and Ferrari find the answers they need? And will the chasing pack continue to spring surprises? The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend is well and truly underway, promising another captivating chapter in the 2025 Formula 1 season.