Lando Norris has solidified McLaren’s dominance at the top of the Imola leaderboard during Saturday’s third practice session for F1’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. With a remarkable lap time of 1m14.897s, Norris led his teammate Oscar Piastri, while reigning champion Max Verstappen from Red Bull trailed in third place. As teams prepared for the qualifying session set for 2025-05-17 15:36:00, the anticipation is building for an exciting race weekend.
- Lando Norris leads Imola practice session.
- Oscar Piastri finishes second for McLaren.
- Max Verstappen places third overall.
- Track temperatures influenced early running.
- Norris sets fastest lap on soft tires.
- Liam Lawson spins but no major incidents.
Track temperatures soared in Imola, causing teams to take a cautious approach early on. Lewis Hamilton initially set the pace before being overtaken by Piastri and Verstappen. As the session progressed, teams switched to soft tires, with Norris emerging as the only driver to better Verstappen’s earlier time on medium tires.
The session highlighted key competitive dynamics as teams gear up for the race. Can McLaren maintain this momentum in qualifying? With Verstappen and Hamilton both showing speed, the battle for pole position will be fierce.
- Norris set the fastest lap, marking a strong start for McLaren.
- Verstappen struggled to improve his time, finishing 0.181s behind Norris.
- Hamilton and Tsunoda faced grip issues, impacting their performance.
- Piastri’s consistent pace keeps McLaren in the spotlight.
As qualifying approaches, fans are eager to see if McLaren can convert their practice success into a front-row start. Will Norris and Piastri continue to shine, or will Verstappen reclaim his top spot?
