Imola stewards fines Red Bull Racing after Sergio Perez's over speeding incident during FP1

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc clinched the timesheet in FP1 at Imola. However, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix stewards have levied a hefty €1,000 fine against Red Bull Racing. It came following Sergio Perez's speeding infraction in the Imola pit lane. 

During a weekend where a speed limit of 80kph (49.7mph) was in effect, Perez was found to be travelling at 88.9kph (55.2mph), surpassing the limit by 8.9kph (5.5mph). Red Bull Racing incurred the fine as a result of breaching Article 34.7 of the Sporting Regulations, as determined by the stewards. 

In the session, Perez concluded in fourth place, edging out his teammate Max Verstappen by a mere 0.007 seconds. Verstappen grappled with grip and balance issues in the RB20, experiencing multiple off-track excursions, while Ferrari's Charles Leclerc dominated the opening hour of practice.

Max Verstappen’s struggle at Imola GP! 

Max Verstappen, the three-time champion, endured a dismal hour-long session. Despite initially setting the fastest first sector, the 26-year-old faced troubles during his soft-tyre runs. He complained of bottoming through Turn 11, which hampered his performance. 

During subsequent runs, Verstappen's struggles continued as he veered off-track at the Variante Alta, and later found himself in the gravel at Turn 11 once again on his final attempt. These issues left Red Bull with significant work to address before the next session.

Verstappen ultimately settled for the fifth-fastest time, trailing Charles Leclerc by a quarter of a second. His teammate Sergio Perez also edged ahead by a mere 0.007 seconds, leaving Verstappen with ground to make up in the following sessions.

Meanwhile, the first red flag of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was raised a mere 19 minutes into the session when Alex Albon's Williams stopped at the exit of Turn 12 in Imola. The driver was on a flying lap when his car abruptly lost all power.