The FP1 session of the F1 Imola GP weekend proved vital, with a flurry of car upgrades making this hour of track time especially significant. As Imola played host to the first European round of the season, several teams took the opportunity to introduce key developments that could potentially alter the competitive hierarchy.
Oscar Piastri arrived in Italy riding a wave of momentum, having claimed victory in three consecutive races and four of the opening six. Sitting 16 points clear of his team-mate in the Drivers’ Championship, the Australian even endeavoured to win over local fans by highlighting his distant Italian ancestry.
Teams hit the ground running
As the green light signalled the start of FP1, Oliver Bearman led the field out for Haas, followed closely by Carlos Sainz. The majority opted for medium tyres initially, though Ferrari sent their drivers out on the soft C6 compound straight away—tyres not expected to play a major role come race day.
Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren all introduced updates alongside a track-specific high-downforce rear wing. Aston Martin arrived with an extensive upgrade package, Alpine fitted a reshaped front wing, and both Racing Bulls and Haas brought revised floor designs.
With tyre strategy in mind, teams focused on softs early to preserve mediums and hards for Sunday. At one point, only seven of the 19 drivers on track were running mediums, including both Kick Sauber drivers, Alpine, Haas, and Sainz. Alex Albon was the only driver yet to appear.
Leclerc returns, but not without incident
Charles Leclerc, absent from Thursday’s media duties due to illness, returned to action but immediately drew criticism for meandering on the racing line, which disrupted Fernando Alonso’s flying lap behind.
Charles exploring the limits and more on the exit of the chicane #F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/yQNd29x5v7
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 16, 2025
Albon eventually joined the session, also on softs, meaning all drivers had taken to the circuit. Some cars carried aero rakes during these initial laps as teams began evaluating their upgrades and fine-tuning set-ups. With three practice sessions this weekend, teams had time to test various configurations, often fitting new parts to only one car for benchmarking purposes.
Lando Norris topped the timing sheets on the soft compound with a 1:17.491, narrowly ahead of George Russell by 0.070s. Last year’s pole time—1:14.746, set by Max Verstappen—remained a distant target for now.
Leclerc struggled for rhythm, running wide at Turn 14 and dipping two wheels into the gravel at Turn 15. At Imola, where gravel and grass dominate the run-off areas, such excursions carry real consequences, making track limits a lesser concern than at other circuits.
Eyes on Colapinto
Attention also turned to Franco Colapinto, who continued adapting to his Alpine. Sitting P19, the rookie had been serving as Reserve Driver since the start of the year, gaining familiarity with the car in the simulator—though nothing compared to real-world mileage. His goal remained steady progression through the weekend, building up confidence ahead of qualifying.
Russell bolted on a second set of softs and jumped to the top with a 1:16.599. However, the green track conditions suggested faster times would come as the session progressed.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli also switched to fresh softs but couldn’t match Russell, ending up nearly half a second behind in third. Leclerc continued to wrestle with his car, suffering a snap of oversteer while remaining on his first set of softs. He also complained about helmet lift over the radio.
Lewis Hamilton, still on his original softs, sat down in P15. A trip across the grass further compromised his run, forcing him to pit and revealing that both Ferrari and Mercedes were struggling for balance.
Piastri strikes late
Over halfway through the session, Piastri fitted new soft tyres and delivered a clean, sharp lap to edge Russell by just 0.054s with a 1:16.545. Norris, also on fresh rubber, faltered in the first sector and aborted his lap before the final corner despite having relatively clear air.
Pierre Gasly, who had shown good pace earlier on mediums, remained competitive on the softs. While the Alpine car lacked all-round consistency, it performed well at certain circuits, Imola included.
Albon had a moment over the kerbs, kicking up dirt after placing his outer wheels on the grass. Despite the scare, he maintained a solid eighth position, just a few tenths behind his team-mate.
Final push during F1 Imola GP FP1
As the session approached its final 15 minutes, Antonelli and Gabriel Bortoleto both reached a third of race distance with 21 laps each—helped by their past F2 experience at this venue. Antonelli, who set his time earlier, dropped to P13 but looked to have more pace in hand.
Verstappen slotted into seventh after completing only 14 laps. His RB21 appeared unsettled, as he slid across the track and showed visible frustration by tapping the steering wheel. Radio chatter confirmed he had been unhappy with the car’s behaviour.
Then came the biggest drama of FP1. Just before the chequered flag, Bortoleto crashed into the barriers at Turn 18. Replays revealed the Brazilian clipped too much kerb, lost rear grip, and went straight through the gravel and into the barriers. Thankfully, he emerged unscathed.
🚩 RED FLAG 🚩
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 16, 2025
Bortoleto into the barriers. He's okay 👍#F1 #ImolaGP pic.twitter.com/FNjTyIIO9Q
With recovery vehicles deployed and the session clock winding down, FP1 ended under yellow flags. The drivers returned to the pits, wrapping up an intense hour of testing and data collection. McLaren had drawn first blood—Piastri and Norris showing that their package, for now, had the early edge at Imola.
F1 Imola GP FP1 results
- Piastri
- Norris
- Sainz
- Russell
- Hamilton
- Gasly
- Verstappen
- Albon
- Bortoleto
- Hülkenberg
- Stroll
- Leclerc
- Antonelli
- Alonso
- Lawson
- Tsunoda
- Colapinto
- Bearman
- Hadjar
- Ocon
