FP2 – McLaren Dominates Again, Verstappen Battles Setup Woes

McLaren continues strong form at Imola GP as Piastri tops FP2. Gasly surprises in P3, while Verstappen and Leclerc struggle badly.

The second free practice session of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix saw McLaren maintain their strong form. Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets with a lap of 1:15.293, just edging out teammate Lando Norris in a session where McLaren clearly led the field.

Surprisingly, Pierre Gasly put in an impressive performance to finish third, ahead of George Russell, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc. Verstappen continued to struggle with the handling of his updated Red Bull, complaining about bouncing and brake issues. Leclerc was similarly frustrated with his Ferrari, citing major braking and corner entry problems.

Williams and RB (formerly AlphaTauri) showed promising pace early in the session, but it appears they didn’t push to the limit on soft tyres, possibly hiding their true potential. Isack Hadjar briefly impressed before crashing late in the session at Tamburello, causing a red flag. Fortunately, he was uninjured.

Elsewhere, Mercedes introduced a new front wing in anticipation of upcoming regulations, while Ferrari faces a possible investigation for a procedural issue during FP1 involving Leclerc’s tyres.

Track traffic was a consistent issue throughout FP2, frustrating several drivers and hinting at tricky qualifying conditions ahead.

• Discover More>McLaren Go 1-2 in FP1 as Rivals Trail at Tight Imola
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