Imola GP 2024 FP1 results: Charles Leclerc and George Russell dominate, Verstappen and Hamilton struggles to control car

In the first Free practice session of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola on Friday Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc stands fastest on the timesheet with 1:16.990. Mercedes’ Geroge Russell clinched the second position while Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz finished third. 

Red Bull duo of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen clinched fourth and sixth positions. Notably, Verstappen faced significant challenges in sector two, particularly from the Tosa hairpin onward. The car bottomed out as it navigated turn 11, hindering its performance. 

Despite Verstappen's attempts to initiate a turn-in, the car failed to respond, exacerbating his struggles on the track. Meanwhile, RB’s Yuki Tsunoda finished sixth and Lewis Hamilton earned the seventh position after strolling in the second half of the session. Notably, in the initial half an hour, Hamilton was matching his teammate Russell at the top.

Revamped Imola troubles F1 superstars 

During the initial Free Practice session on Friday, Williams Racing's Alex Albon encountered a sudden car shutdown. Despite clocking the 15th fastest time, Albon lost control of his vehicle, veering off into the grass due to a reported loss of electric power supply. This premature end to his session leaves Albon with just one practice opportunity ahead of Saturday's qualifying race.

The challenging conditions at Imola likely contributed to Albon's incident, with the bumpy track surface posing difficulties for drivers. Yuki Tsunoda also faced troubles, requesting his race engineer to cease communication over the radio while he pushed his limits. Additionally, Pierre Gasly voiced concerns over the track's uneven nature, echoing the challenges posed by the circuit's conditions. 

Apart from the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen also lost their control on multiple occasions. Verstappen revealed that at Turn 11 he failed to have any grip in all four tyres. While Hamilton spin-off on multiple occasions due to lack of grip. 

Here are the top 10 of FP1: