Everywhere at Imola, you find magic

New York Times

17-05-2025

Formula One is in Europe for the first time this year, as Imola hosts Round 7 of the 2025 season — follow our live coverage of today's track action Getty Images Alex Kalinauckas
As we wait for the real pukka soft-tire qualifying simulation efforts at FP3's end, I'd like to roll the clock back (nearly) five years to the 2020 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix — the first time Imola had been on the F1 calendar since 2006.
Luke Smith and I, in another career lifetime, were standing at the same spot he is trackside today, soaking up the atmosphere of this famous track.
It wasn't during practice for the race Lewis Hamilton would go on to win for Mercedes. We'd gone to the track a day early to take COVID tests as per the attendance rules of those dark days.
After a trip to visit the Senna memorial, we carried on around the outside of the track to see as far as we could get. Even on that day, with no action taking place, we met a woman who'd come to remember Gilles Villeneuve — her favorite driver — at the chicane that bears his name, where another memorial stands.
On our way back, we stopped at an unassuming cafe on the edge of the Acque Minerali park that the track runs through.
Grateful even for a couple of limp sandwiches at what looked like a classic tourist trap, we were treated to a sumptuous meal of local delicacies. Getty Images
⏰ 27:53 Before you get to Villeneuve, the cars arrive at Tamburello — and Liam Lawson just had a moment there in his Racing Bull.
He gets on the car and makes a mess of his tires, but avoids anything more damaging than that.
Which will be a relief, given his teammate Isack Hadjar had a big off yesterday.
One subtle difference between the two McLarens is that Lando Norris is riding far more curb coming into the chicane compared to Oscar Piastri.
It doesn't seem to be hurting Norris much though. Getty Images
Every time I come trackside I can't help but be impressed by the McLaren.
It just looks so planted and so smooth. This Villeneuve chicane offers a fairly quick change in direction but the MCL39 handles it with total ease.
It's going to take something mighty to stop the papaya cars in qualifying later, I think.
⏰ 33:23 A little exchange of fastest laps, kicked off by Isack Hadjar — he didn't have the best Friday but his 1:15.508s catches the eye for Racing Bulls.
It doesn't stay top for long though.
Max Verstappen nudges closer to the 1:14s with a 1:5.130s — and that is still faster after Lando Norris also usurps Hadjar.
We're still on the medium tires for the majority here, so not on qualifying sims just yet I imagine. Luke Smith
⏰ 40:41 Cheers went up in the grandstands as Lewis Hamilton took to the track. This is his first race on Italian soil since joining Ferrari.
And here's my view for FP3. There's a very respectful ripple of applause from the Ferrari fans each time either Charles Leclerc or Hamilton goes by.
A quiet start to the session but the sparks being thrown up by the Sauber are huge — clearly running a bit lower than the rest of the field! Getty Images
⏰ 48:04 The rarified air of three cars out on track now, but it's still early days and a lowkey start to this FP3.
Interestingly though, Sky Sports' Ted Kravitz has suggested that single lap from Lando Norris could have been a quick, cheeky test of an altered rear to his McLaren MCL39.
Once he'd returned to the garage, the mechanics clearly got to work on resetting the car. One to keep an eye on, potentially.
Also, great to see those photos from Luke . Ayrton Senna was one of my heroes — and I doubt I'm alone. If you've not already seen the movie Senna, go see it (and if you have, go watch it again). Luke Smith
This is still an important site to visit for anyone coming to the track.
I'm heading down to the Villeneuve chicane for FP3, and I have just walked past the statue and memorial for Ayrton Senna, who died following an accident at Imola in 1994.
⏰ 55:55 Maybe not. One lap to scrub those hard tires and Lando Norris is back in the garage, the tires come off and screens go onto his cockpit.
Nothing more than a bit of preparation, which is more than can be said for the other 19 cars. It's taking a while for anyone else to be tempted out on track.
⏰ 58:35 A signal of intent? Lando Norris' McLaren is the first car on track — an Imola bathed in Italian sunshine, no less.
He's out on the hard tire.
⏰ 59:59 Here. We. Go. Green light at the end of the pit lane and this is it — one final hour to get the preparations in ahead of arguably the most important slot this weekend: Emilia-Romagna GP qualifying.
Away we go… Getty Images
Having crunched the numbers from the long runs in FP2 yesterday, it was as you'd expect — McLaren leads the way on race pace, but it's much closer behind than it appears.
That's for everyone except Red Bull.
Oscar Piastri put in an average of 1:20.042s over eight laps and that led the way, much as the Australian championship leader did in FP2 overall.
Behind him by just 0.147 seconds and completing over seven laps, was Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. That was surprising given how much of a struggle the Ferrari appeared over one lap.
Third — and we're just looking at the typical 2025 frontrunners here — was Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes, 0.23s slower than Piastri.
But then Max Verstappen's best of 1:20.896s was a massive 0.854s slower than McLaren's leading pace. The Dutchman's stint was completed over 10 laps before a late FP2 red flag.
Red Bull will surely turn it around. It's so good at improving as a weekend progresses, and Verstappen is always a pole threat.
But that's a big margin to close based on Friday's running. Getty Images
What's happened so far this weekend at Imola? Well, McLaren should be feeling confident.
The championship leaders enjoyed a 1-2 finish in both FP1 and FP2 on Friday, with Oscar Piastri marginally ahead of Lando Norris in both sessions.
Throw in the fact McLaren has a pretty good record around Imola historically, and it's all adding up to a productive weekend for the team from Woking.
Carlos Sainz popped up in P3 for Williams in the opening session, while it was Pierre Gasly's Alpine that grabbed the same spot in FP2. They suggest there is unpredictability behind the papaya cars — but equally, the fact we're still short of finding a performance order for this weekend is what you would expect after only free practice.
Ferrari's first home weekend of the year did not enjoy a fast start yesterday, with Charles Leclerc sixth and Lewis Hamilton 11th in the afternoon session. And it already looks like Max Verstappen and Red Bull will have to pull off their usual overnight improvement to bag another surprise pole today. Formula 1
As for the teams' championship, McLaren is already asking the question of its rivals and whether they want to keep trying to catch them up this season — or focus their future development on the 2026 cars that will follow this winter's significant regulation changes.
The lead is 105 points, while Red Bull running third is still primarily down to one driver.
Williams looks good as best of the rest right now, but might well halt its updates on the FW47 before other teams.
Every team is on the board, with Sauber's six points leaving it last heading to Imola. Formula 1
This was supposed to be Lando Norris' shot at the drivers' championship but right now, he is trailing his McLaren teammate by 16 points and a fair chunk of momentum.
It's been some effort from Max Verstappen to cling onto the leaders' coattails in a limited (at least, to this point) RB21. And what about Kimi Antonelli, with the 18-year-old ahead of the man he replaced at Mercedes.
Fernando Alonso remains one of four drivers still without a championship point — his Aston Martin alongside Liam Lawson (now Racing Bulls), Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) and Jack Doohan, who has been replaced at Alpine ahead of this weekend by Franco Colapinto. Getty Images
For the fourth time in six races this year, Oscar Piastri was the victor as the Miami Grand Prix delivered a captivating weekend of racing.
McLaren's Lando Norris took the earlier sprint race win and Max Verstappen snuck another pole position from under the noses of the papaya cars.
But that pair got tangled up on the opening turn and Piastri was the driver able to take advantage over the ensuing laps.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were average in their performance, but much more fun over team radio and a major team orders bust-up saw Hamilton criticize his team's slow decision-making.
Mercedes' George Russell dug in to grab third in the race, while his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli broke records with his sprint race pole on Friday.
The Italian teenager continues to show promise — as does the Williams of Alex Albon, which took P5 in the grand prix.
Our correspondents, Luke Smith and Madeline Coleman , were in Miami to analyze the key talking points from the race.
GO FURTHER
Miami Grand Prix: Oscar Piastri wins, McLaren dominates, Ferrari team orders drama
Here's where we are and what we've got coming — with the European races here and now, while Canada is also coming into view.
Make sure these are all in your diary: 1: Australia — NORRIS (Win & Pole)
2: China — PIASTRI (W&P)
3: Japan — VERSTAPPEN (W&P)
4: Bahrain — PIASTRI (W&P)
5: Saudi Arabia — PIASTRI W (Verstappen P)
6: Miami — PIASTRI W (Verstappen P)
7: Emilia-Romagna (Imola) — IN PROGRESS
8: Monaco (Monte Carlo) — May 23-25
9: Spain (Barcelona) — May 30-Jun 1
10: Canada (Montreal) — Jun 13-15
11: Austria (Spielberg) — Jun 27-29
12: Britain (Silverstone) — Jul 4-6
13: Belgium (Spa) — Jul 25-27
14: Hungary (Hungaroring) — Aug 1-3
15: Netherlands (Zandvoort) — Aug 29-31
16: Italy (Monza) — Sep 5-7
17: Azerbaijan (Baku) — Sep 19-21
18: Singapore (Marina Bay) — Oct 3-5
19: United States (Austin) — Oct 17-19
20: Mexico (Mexico City) — Oct 24-26
21: Brazil (São Paulo) — Nov 7-9
22: Las Vegas (Nevada) — Nov 20-22
23: Qatar (Lusail) — Nov 28-30
24: Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina) — Dec 5-7
Without wishing to get too NBA playoffs here, we are already into the second quarter of this season. It's flying by. Getty Images
We are here for all your second screen needs and F1 insights, but we love watching sport and we know live pictures have their place too.
So here's where you can watch the track narratives unfold over the course of the remaining Emilia-Romagna sessions, alongside our live coverage: U.S.: ESPN
ESPN Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
Fubo (try for free) UK: Sky Sports
Sky Sports Canada: TSN
TSN Australia: Fox Sports, Kayo
Fox Sports, Kayo Global: F1.tv