Charles Leclerc demonstrated the potential of Ferrari’s new upgrades by leading the free practice sessions in Imola on Friday. In the first session, Leclerc topped the timesheets with a time of 1:16.990, with George Russell surprisingly in second place for Mercedes, just a tenth of a second behind, and splitting the two Ferraris. In the afternoon session, Leclerc improved his lap time to 1:15.906, using a set of soft tires for a qualifying simulation, and extended his lead over his nearest competitor, Oscar Piastri.
However, Carlos Sainz struggled to extract the full potential of the SF-24 in the second practice session, finishing over half a second behind in sixth place. Sainz had issues with the car’s balance and ran off track several times.
The Ferrari upgrades have been a topic of discussion in the paddock at Imola, especially following McLaren’s impressive performance at the Miami Grand Prix. Ferrari is looking to respond with their own set of developments. McLaren team boss Andrea Stella was seen closely inspecting the new Ferrari car in the pitlane on Friday, paying special attention to the shark fin-shaped sidepod inlet, a feature inspired by Red Bull’s championship-leading car.
Damon Hill, watching the live broadcast of Leclerc’s 1:15.9 lap on Sky Sports F1 after the second practice session, expressed surprise at the number of times Leclerc had to overtake slower cars while driving at top speed. Hill found the closing speeds in the fastest parts of the track uncomfortable. Several drivers were frustrated with obstacles during the session. Max Verstappen, in particular, expressed his frustration with former title rival Lewis Hamilton at the end of the first sector. Hill commented on the need for cars to move aside and allow others to overtake in the middle of their fast laps.
This visit to Italy marks Hamilton’s first since announcing his move to Ferrari for the 2025 season. Next year, he will swap the Mercedes colors for scarlet red, setting the stage for a highly anticipated battle between Hamilton and Leclerc. The clash between the experienced master and the fast-rising apprentice is expected to captivate the world of F1.
Valtteri Bottas assured Leclerc that he will quickly understand why 39-year-old veteran Hamilton has been so successful, but expressed confidence in Leclerc’s abilities. Sebastian Vettel believes that Fred Vasseur will face challenges in managing the dynamics between the two drivers. Mika Hakkinen is confident that 26-year-old Leclerc can cause problems for Hamilton, drawing parallels with the competitive battle between Hamilton and Russell since 2022.
