Lando Norris bounced back from being outpaced by teammate Oscar Piastri in Friday’s sessions to top final practice at Imola ahead of qualifying for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Norris clocked a 1:14.897 on soft tyres, edging Piastri by one-tenth of a second.
Max Verstappen took third, just 0.181s off the pace, despite setting his best lap on the medium compound after struggling to extract performance from Pirelli’s new C6 softs — the debut of the Italian manufacturer’s softest compound proving tricky for several teams.
McLaren dominated all three practice sessions, with Norris and Piastri consistently at the front. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli impressed late with a soft-tyre run to secure fourth, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc followed in fifth. Carlos Sainz continued Williams’ strong showing with sixth, ahead of Isack Hadjar, Alex Albon, and George Russell.
Lewis Hamilton, who struggled with braking, finished 10th after a trip into the gravel at Rivazza.
As cooler track conditions tested tyre management, McLaren appeared best prepared for qualifying. Red Bull’s challenge will hinge on unlocking pace from the soft tyres as Verstappen eyes a Suzuka-style turnaround.
Source: Swifteradio.com
