Lando Norris set himself up for a bid at claiming his first pole place since 2025’s season-opening spherical on Saturday on the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix by beating Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen to the quickest time in ultimate apply.
After being shaded by his championship-leading team-mate Piastri in each of Friday’s practices classes at Imola, Norris turned the tables within the ultimate session earlier than the all-important qualifying hour at 3pm – dwell on Sky Sports activities F1.
Norris’ quickest time on the comfortable tyres of 1:14.897 was precisely one tenth of a second quicker than Piastri’s, though the latter’s greatest effort got here on his second lap on Pirelli’s new softest compound when efficiency from the tyre wouldn’t have been fairly as robust.
Pink Bull’s Max Verstappen was 0.181s again in third place though he set his greatest time on the slower medium compound after failing to enhance on the red-marked softs.
The Dutchman has crushed the McLaren to pole place on the final two grands prix, and three of the final 4, and Pink Bull once more look to have improved the dealing with of his RB21 after a troublesome begin in Follow One.
Verstappen was not the one driver to set his quickest time of the hour on the theoretically slower mediums, with Pirelli’s new C6 tyre – the quickest compound within the Italian producer’s vary which is debuting at Imola this weekend – proving troublesome to maintain within the appropriate working window for all the 3.05-mile Imola lap.
Italy’s personal Kimi Antonelli, although, did make a late enchancment on the softs to vault into fourth for Mercedes, though that was nonetheless half a second behind Norris’ time with McLaren clearly remaining the workforce to beat after a clear sweep of one-two finishes by way of apply.
Charles Leclerc was as soon as extra the lead Ferrari driver in fifth with Lewis Hamilton, who struggled with braking on Friday, three tenths additional again in tenth after a session which included a mistake on the second Rivazza when he went into the gravel.
Williams’ high-quality kind continued with Carlos Sainz taking sixth and Alex Albon ninth, whereas Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar bounced again from his Friday crash to take seventh forward of the second Mercedes of George Russell.
“Lots to digest after that session,” mentioned Sky Sports activities F1’s Anthony Davidson.
“Which tyre do you want to be on when it comes to qualifying?
“One factor that has stayed constant is the 2 McLarens are out in entrance. Not by an enormous margin and Verstappen in third did his greatest lap time on the medium tyre.
“Can Red Bull get enough performance out of the car on the softs, which it looked like they were missing then?
“We may very well be taking a look at one other Suzuka-style effort from Max Verstappen.”
Sky Sports activities F1’s Emilia Romagna GP Schedule
Saturday Might 17
1.10pm: F2 Dash
2.10pm: Emilia Romagna GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: EMILIA ROMAGNA GP QUALIFYING*
5pm: Ted’s Qualifying Pocket book
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Look again at a number of the most dramatic moments to have taken place on the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Sunday Might 18
7.25am: F3 Characteristic Race
8.55am: F2 Characteristic Race
12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Emilia Romagna GP build-up
2pm: The EMILIA ROMAGNA GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag: Emilia Romagna GP response
5pm: Ted’s Pocket book
*Additionally dwell on Sky Sports activities Fundamental Occasion
F1’s European season begins with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend, dwell on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime
