McLaren's Norris Fastest in Emilia Romagna Practice, Piastri Outqualifies in Qualifying

At the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Lando Norris reversed recent qualifying trends by topping the final practice session, beating his McLaren teammate and championship leader Oscar Piastri by a tenth of a second. Despite Norris's strong pace in practice, Piastri has outqualified him in four of the last six races this season, extending his 16-point lead at the top of the Drivers' Championship. Former world champion Jacques Villeneuve criticized Norris, suggesting he collapses under pressure and loses his natural flow during critical qualifying laps, contrasting with Piastri's recent improvements. Norris acknowledged challenges with this year's McLaren car but showed potential by winning the last practice session, following Piastri's dominance in earlier practice runs. The practice sessions highlighted a competitive field with Max Verstappen placing third, while Ferrari struggled at their home Grand Prix, with Charles Leclerc fifth and Lewis Hamilton tenth. Qualifying later on Saturday will be crucial as Norris aims to close the gap to Piastri in the championship battle.