REPORT: Top 10 Pace on Friday in Imola

Atlassian Williams Racing enjoyed a promising start to the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix weekend, with both drivers showcasing competitive pace during Friday’s Practice sessions at the historic Imola circuit.

In FP1, Carlos Sainz delivered a strong lap to secure P3 with a time of 1:16.597, just 0.052 seconds off the fastest time set by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Alex Albon also demonstrated good form, finishing P8 with a 1:16.922 – underlining just how tight the field is, and that the FW47 continues to show encouraging performance.

FP2 saw both drivers build on their earlier efforts. They completed their Qualifying simulations and Race runs, gathering valuable data ahead of the weekend. Alex’s best lap placed him P9 with a 1:15.916, while Carlos followed closely in P10 after posting a 1:15.934.

"Not bad!" Alex reflected. "The track feels awesome to drive, it’s always fun to come to Imola. That being said, we’re struggling a little bit with the softer compound of tyres.

"The C6 is new this year and it takes a little bit of learning. Congestion on the track isn’t great either but honestly, the car’s feeling pretty sensible around here. So far, so good!"

Carlos added: "Good Friday here in Imola. In FP1 on Soft tyres we were quick, but in FP2 we need to understand why we didn’t extract the maximum out of that tyre.

"On Mediums however, the balance felt very good, so we need to work to understand the C6 and get ready for Qualifying. Track position is important here in Imola, so we need to find a bit of pace if we want to be in the mix."