Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc tops Emilia Romagna GP Free Practice 1

17th May 2024

Sir Lewis Hamilton's future team mate sets pace

AT the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend in Italy, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the pace in Free Practice 1, sitting pretty at the top of the time sheets with a time of 1:16.990, writes Damian Hall.

The show of form from Ferrari over the season bodes well for Sir Lewis Hamilton, who is set to join the team next year but currently with a struggling Mercedes, finishing the session in 7th.

This first session is usually taken with a pinch of salt as teams test and prepare their cars for qualifying and then the race. Hot on Leclerc’s heels was Mercedes’ George Russell, posting the second-fastest time, just 0.104 seconds off the pace, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz closely following in third, only 0.130 seconds behind.

Anticipation was high as a number of teams rolled out upgrades to their cars, hoping to gain an extra edge over their opponents. However, it’s still early in the weekend to determine which upgrades will make a significant impact here in Italy. In typical Formula 1 fashion, some teams might be “sandbagging” – deliberately holding back their true pace to keep their opponents guessing.

Drama struck in the closing stages of the session when Sir Lewis spun in front of Ferrari fans but recovered well. Earlier in the session, Williams driver Alex Albon also had a technical issue, causing a red flag and bringing the session to a temporary halt. At the time of reporting, Williams had yet to release details about the problem.

Miami Grand Prix winner Lando Norris was heard over the team radio reporting an issue and had to pit momentarily; no details were given over the radio. Championship leader Max Verstappen had a close call, having to correct oversteer just before the chicane at turns 14/15, which is at the highest point of the circuit. High tailwinds are suspected to be contributing to issues there for other drivers.

#F1NEWS #FORMULAONE #LANDONORRIS #SIRLEWISHAMILTON #ITALIANGP #FERRARI #CHARLESLECLERC #MCLAREN #MERCEDES #WILLIAMS #ALEXALBON #GEORGERUSSELL #CARLOSSAINZ #THEHALLOFF1