Impressive Leclerc puts upgraded Ferrari on top in Imola practice

Charles Leclerc was fastest in his upgraded Ferrari in practice for the Italian team’s home Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Friday as Red Bull’s Formula One leader Max Verstappen endured a difficult day.
Leclerc, whose home Monaco race follows next week, led both sunny sessions at Imola’s Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit and ended with a best time of one minute and 15.906 seconds.
George Russell lapped second fastest for Mercedes in the first session, 0.104 seconds behind and also on soft tyres, but McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was closest to Verstappen in the second with a gap of 0.192. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was third in session one and RB’s Yuki Tsunoda a surprise occupant of that slot in session two for his team’s home race.
Verstappen, winner of four of six races this season, lapped fifth and seventh fastest respectively after going off track in both sessions.
The Dutch driver, who was 0.250 off the pace in first practice and 0.541 slower than Leclerc in the second, complained over the radio of a lack of grip as his car bounced across grass and gravel at Acque Minerali.
“It’s so difficult everything, man. This time suddenly the front grips up a lot, I almost spin,” reported Verstappen, who also appeared angry with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton getting in his way, at one point.
Seven-times world champion Hamilton, racing in Italy for the first time since his move to Ferrari next season was announced, spun his Mercedes onto the grass with 22 minutes left in session one but was able to continue. The Briton was fourth in the later stint.
McLaren’s Lando Norris, winner in Miami last time out for his first career victory, was eighth and 12th. Williams’ Alex Albon brought out red flags briefly when he pulled over early in the opening session, with the team saying the engine shut down after he went over a kerb. British teenager Oliver Bearman was back in a Formula One car after standing in for an unwell Sainz in Saudi Arabia, this time replacing Kevin Magnussen at Haas for the first practice session as part of six such outings this year.