Leclerc fastest in Emilia Romagna practice sessions

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

Great day for Ferrari. Frustrating running for Red Bull.

The upgraded Scuderia is certainly showing its potential, but can the Italian team carry that form through to the chequered flag on Sunday?

That's Friday at Imola wrapped up. Thanks for joining us, folks.

Get some rest and then come back and follow along on Saturday from 11:00 BST when we'll be all systems go for qualifying at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Enjoy the rest of your Friday night!

BBC SportCopyright: BBC Sport

That's day one complete at Imola. Do you have any thoughts after those two practice sessions?

If so, send them in to BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson to answer.

Have a read of the Q&A before this weekend's race here.

Then send us your questions using the link here.

BBCCopyright: BBC

While we gear up for the main action this weekend, have a listen to our Chequered Flag podcast Imola preview.

Jennie Gow, former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer and BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson discuss whether Lando Norris challenge Max Verstappen for race victory again, the future of Adrian Newey, Alex Albon’s new Williams contract and Kevin Magnussen’s mounting penalty points tally.

Listen in here.

11. Daniel Ricciardo (RB)

12. Lando Norris (McLaren)

13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

14. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

15. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

16. Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)

17. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

18. Alex Albon (Williams)

19. Zhou Guanyu (Sauber)

20. Logan Sargeant (Williams)

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 1:15.906

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.192

3. Yuki Tsunoda (RB) +0.380

4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.391

5. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.405

6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) +0.517

7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.541

8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.646

9. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) +0.920

10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.932

The quickest driver on the medium tyres is actually Sergio Perez, which suggests Red Bull will be OK once they have got Verstappen's car sorted out. But Leclerc is only a fraction behind him.

It is a track that's tight, that's narrow, and things like that can easily happen here.

Oscar Piastri comes up against the rear wing of an Alpine - and the Australian is not impressed with the track positioning from one of the French drivers. "That's so intelligent... it's incredible," says Piastri sarcastically on the McLaren team radio.

Tom Hart, one of Red Bull's performance engineers, is the voice over Max Verstappen's radio during this Friday practice running. He's picked quite a day to take the microphone, as the three-time world champion has been twitching across the gravel in both sessions. Verstappen's latest off is around Turn 11 - his new nemesis.

Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez almost touch wheels as the pair jostle for position on this narrow track. The two drivers have differing opinions on who is to blame.

"What's wrong with this Ferrari?" says Perez to his Red Bull pit wall.

Leclerc, meanwhile, adds a light sprinkle of bad language to his message. "What the ****!" says the Scuderia driver.

If you watch the video, see if you can spot the slip of the tongue from Eddie Jordan. I'll say no more...

Back in Imola, it's long run time. Max Verstappen has come out on mediums, the two Mercedes driver are on the hards and leader Charles Leclerc is a yellow runner to match Verstappen.

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Adrian Newey has said for the first time that he expects to join another Formula 1 team following his decision to leave Red Bull.

The 65-year-old design legend said that he was “seriously considering changing teams, going somewhere else and doing another four or five years or whatever”.

Newey added: “I feel a little bit tired at the moment, but at some point I’ll probably go again.”

His latest comments come in an interview with his manager Eddie Jordan, the former F1 team boss, in a marketing video for a yacht company that has been released on YouTube.

Read the full story here

Williams are up and running in this session after an earlier delay that kept both Logan Sargeant and Alex Albon, who came to a stop during first practice, stuck in the garage.

American Sargeant has been sent out with some hard tyres bolted on, while Albon waits to be given the go-ahead to bank some more laps.

The soft runs have come to an end and Charles Leclerc is the quickest man so far with a 1:15.906. Oscar Piastri is back out on some hard rubber having clocked the second best time, while third-placed Yuki Tsunoda has rejoined the action on the medium compound.

Max Verstappen is not happy with the grip levels of his Red Bull. A few moments up the road and he's even more annoyed, as the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton is blocking his path. The seven-time world champion holds his hand up to gesture the international sign for "yep, sorry. My fault".

ReutersCopyright: Reuters

Interestingly, this race has never been won from lower than fifth on the grid.

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 1:15.906

2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.192

3. Yuki Tsunoda (RB) +0.380

4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.391

5. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.405

I does look like it will be quite a close fight between Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull for pole.