FP1 Results & Report 2024 Emilia Romagna F1 GP
Event: Emilia Romagna F1 GP
Track: Autodromo Imola
It's been 30 years since Ayrton Senna lost his life at Imola back in 1994
Weather: dry 23.5°C
Tarmac: dry 42.9°C
Humidity: 33%
Wind: 19.0 km/h South
Leclerc Leads the Pack in Opening Practice at Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The seventh round of the 2024 Formula 1 season kicked off at the historic Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy, with Charles Leclerc setting the pace in the first practice session. The Ferrari driver delighted the Tifosi by clocking a fastest lap of 1m 16.990s, edging out Mercedes' George Russell by a tenth of a second, with Carlos Sainz securing third place.
Ferrari's Upgrades Show Promise
Ferrari brought a substantial upgrade package to their home race, including a sidepod design inspired by Red Bull. The upgrades seem to be effective, as evidenced by Leclerc's top time. The Scuderia will be aiming to build on this strong start in FP2 and beyond, hoping to maintain their advantage over the competition.
Red Bull's Struggles
Max Verstappen endured a challenging session, struggling to find consistency and ending up in the gravel at Acque Minerali. Despite setting the fastest times in the first and third sectors, he lost significant time in the middle sector and ultimately finished fifth, behind teammate Sergio Perez. Verstappen's difficulties were compounded by Red Bull's decision to have a new race engineer for this session, adding an extra layer of complexity.
Albon's Technical Issue Brings Out Red Flags
The session was temporarily halted when Alex Albon's Williams suffered a technical issue, forcing him to stop on the grass. Williams Team Principal James Vowles explained that Albon's car lost all power after running over a kerb, an unusual situation that left the marshals unable to touch the car until the cause was determined. This incident limited Albon's track time, which he will be eager to make up in the subsequent sessions.
Other Notable Incidents
Lewis Hamilton had a moment at Acque Minerali, where he spun off after taking too much kerb, though he managed to continue without significant damage. Daniel Ricciardo also had an off-track excursion, running wide at Rivazza but rejoining without issue.
Rookie Performance
Ollie Bearman, driving for Haas in place of Kevin Magnussen for this session, finished 15th after completing 31 laps. Bearman, who also raced in F2 earlier in the day, managed to stay ahead of his teammate, showing promising pace.
Teams Focus on Data Collection
With numerous upgrades introduced by almost every team except Red Bull, the first practice session was critical for data collection. Aston Martin, Mercedes, and McLaren all ran their new parts, while Haas compared their old and new specifications between their cars. The emphasis was on understanding the performance gains and adapting to the revised setups.
Weather Conditions
The weather in Imola was favorable, with sunny skies and no immediate threat of rain. However, yesterday's rain washed away much of the track rubber, affecting grip levels. Teams will be keeping a close eye on the weather forecasts, as there is a chance of showers on race day.
Quickest Sector Times
The quickest sector times during the grand prix were:
- Sector 1: 24.063 sec by Max Verstappen (Red Bull RB20)
- Sector 2: 26.553 sec by Charles Leclerc (Ferrari SF-24)
- Sector 3: 25.942 sec by Max Verstappen (Red Bull RB20)
Last time (back in 2022) Leclerc was fastest during FP1. He did one lap of Imola in 1:29.402 min with the Ferrari F1-75 in the wet.
Looking Ahead to FP2
The second practice session will begin at 17:00 local time (15:00 UTC), where teams will continue to refine their setups and evaluate their upgrades. Ferrari will aim to stay ahead, while Red Bull will look to iron out the issues that plagued their FP1 performance. With the track expected to evolve and rubber in further, FP2 promises to be another intriguing hour of action.
Stay tuned for more updates and analysis as the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix weekend unfolds.
FP1 Times Table 2024 E. Romagna GP
| P | No | Driver | Team | Time | 1st Gap | Laps | Tyres |
| 1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:16,990 | 29 | ????S | |
| 2 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:17,094 | +0,104s | 27 | ????S |
| 3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:17,120 | +0,130s | 24 | ????S |
| 4 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | 1:17,233 | +0,243s | 22 | ????S |
| 5 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:17,240 | +0,250s | 21 | ????S |
| 6 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 1:17,388 | +0,398s | 28 | ????S |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:17,408 | +0,418s | 26 | ????S |
| 8 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:17,602 | +0,612s | 16 | ????S |
| 9 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:17,807 | +0,817s | 24 | ????S |
| 10 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:17,867 | +0,877s | 18 | ????S |
| 11 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:17,905 | +0,915s | 20 | ????S |
| 12 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:18,072 | +1,082s | 21 | ????S |
| 13 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Racing Bulls | 1:18,142 | +1,152s | 25 | ????S |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:18,612 | +1,622s | 28 | ????S |
| 15 | 50 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1:18,667 | +1,677s | 30 | ????S |
| 16 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | 1:18,827 | +1,837s | 22 | ????S |
| 17 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | 1:19,129 | +2,139s | 17 | ????S |
| 18 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 1:19,901 | +2,911s | 21 | ????M |
| 19 | 23 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:20,050 | +3,060s | 8 | ⚪H |
| 20 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas | 1:21,059 | +4,069s | 19 | ????S |
✅ Check out our 2024 Emilia Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix preview.
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