Lando Norris showcased an impressive performance in final practice at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, outpacing his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri to claim the top spot. This marked a notable shift as Piastri had dominated the first two practice sessions on Friday. Norris’s best time placed him 0.1 seconds ahead of Piastri, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured third, trailing by 0.181 seconds.
With four victories in the first six races of the season, Piastri leads the championship standings by 16 points, adding further intrigue to the competitive dynamics within McLaren. Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes finished fourth, followed by Carlos Sainz from Williams and Isack Hadjar from Racing Bulls.
Other notable performances included Charles Leclerc from Ferrari and George Russell from Mercedes, who took the seventh and eighth spots respectively. Williams driver Alex Albon and Lewis Hamilton from Ferrari rounded out the top ten.
The session featured a mix of excitement and challenges as drivers grappled with the new soft tyre compound introduced by Pirelli for the first time this season. The majority of drivers found it difficult to optimize their performance, with Verstappen even clocking his best time on the medium tyre. Despite the struggles, Piastri managed to achieve an impressive lap on his second run with soft tyres, which elevated him above Verstappen.
This performance sets the stage for an exciting race, with McLaren demonstrating strong pace and competitive spirit. The introduction of the new C6 tyre compound aims to create a more dynamic race strategy, potentially moving away from the typical one-stop approach and adding to the anticipation for the weekend’s events.