Ahead of today's second session the air temperature is 20 degrees C, while the track temperature is 38 degrees. It remains bright and sunny.
As a reminder, in terms of updates, McLaren has a new Rear Corner, Rear Wing, Beam Wing and Front Suspension. The Front and rear wings are circuit specific, while a small modification has been applied to the front suspension aimed at increased clearance to other suspension members for improved reliability.
Ferrari has a new Rear Corner, Rear Wing and Beam Wing, Again, mostly circuit specific, and while the rear corner is not track specific and within the standard development cycle, the geometrical changes are small and focused on improving specific flow features, returning local loading benefits.
Red Bull has a new Coke/Engine Cover, Rear Suspension and Rear Corner. The revised engine cover sees a re-optimisation of the inlet, surrounding geometry and stays to gain overall aerodynamic efficiency, while in terms of the rear suspension there's a subtle change to better optimise the shape towards the inboard region for a further aerodynamic efficiency gain. Minor changes to the rear corner are to tidy up and optimise the local flow fields to gain aerodynamic efficiency.
At Mercedes it's a new Front Suspension, Front Wing and Coke/Engine Cover. In terms of the front suspension, all leg fairings have been re-profiled to improve aerodynamic robustness in a variety of conditions - improving flow to the rear of the car and consequently floor load. On the front wing, the aim is redistribution of chordwise and spanwise load through element re-profiling, thereby producing a change in upwash field behind the wing resulting in improved onset flow to the rear of the car.
Aston Martin has a new Halo, Floor Body, Floor Fences, Floor Edge, Diffuser, Coke/Engine Cover and Beam Wing. The revised shape of the floor body, fences and edge should improve the flow-field under the floor increasing the local load generated on the lower surface and hence performance, while, in terms of the halo, changes to the management of the flow around the cockpit alter the load generated in that area as well as affecting the flow behind this region. The reduction in aggression of the beam wing elements reduce downforce but also drag for an overall efficiency improvement at this rear wing level.
Alpine has a new Front Wing and Coke/Engine Cover. The front wing has been redesigned to redistribute the load across its elements and offer local load gains across its operating range, while the rearward bodywork panel has been re-profiled to improve the flow-field delivery at the rear of the car and gain efficient load.
At Haas there's a new Floor Body, Floor Edge, Diffuser, Rear Corner and Rear Suspension. The new front floor shape facilitates a cleaner flow delivery to the rear end of the car, resulting in higher energy extraction from the floor and, consequently, enhanced performance. The new floor edge works in conjunction with the front floor contraction to ensure a cleaner flow delivery to the rear. The altered incoming flow necessitates a new expansion rate for the diffuser and the updated floor package delivers higher performance across a wide range of ride heights. The lower element of the rear brake duct now features a revised trim and shape, allowing for local load extraction and better control of the tyre wake, while additional load is achieved through a revision of the upper winglets, which now include more elements.
The RBs have a new Floor Body and Coke/Engine Cover. The channels in the forward floor create local downforce, but also define the downstream flow conditions for the rest of the floor. This update increases local load without degrading this downstream flow. Meanwhile, the shape of the bodywork undercut has been developed to promote high energy flow towards the back of the car and the floor edge wing. The chassis winglet helps to manage the airflow reaching the rear wing.
Neither Williams nor Stake have any upgrades.
Piastri set the pace earlier in a session in which the Top 11 were covered by 0.487s. However, other than the red flag at the very, caused when Bortoleto went off at the second Rivazza, there was plenty to suggest that we are in for a wild weekend.
Other than the usual struggles for grip, with even the very best being caught out, traffic was an issue, which suggests a few shocks come qualifying.
Until his off things were looking good for Bortoleto, who ended the session ninth with his Stake teammate tenth.
Also looking good were Sainz and Gasly.
This weekend sees the debut of the C6 tyre and while these made much of the running this morning it is unlikely that we will see them on Sunday. Indeed, Christian Horner appears to believe that mediums could be the way to go in qualifying.
Ocon is first out, followed by Bearman, Gasly, Colapinto and Hadjar.
Of the first wave, Hadjar goes quickest with a 16.764, the majority now on mediums.
However, once the big boys appear it isn't long before Norris raises the bar with a 16.074.
"Colapinto almost made me crash," claims Alonso.
Sainz goes second (15.992) and Albon third, as Leclerc goes fifth.
A 16.422 sees Tsunoda go ninth.
Gasly goes sixth with a 16.306.
While everyone else is on mediums, Russell continues with the softs, as does Alonso, but then Aston Martin always has its own way of doing things with its tyres.
As most return to the pits, Russell bangs in a 15.693.
As the Mercedes river heads back to the pits Verstappen heads out. He is followed by Antonelli, Hulkenberg, Bearman and Lawson, all on softs.
Verstappen crosses the line at 15.735, 0.042s off Russell's pace.
Bearman goes fifth, 0.316s off the pace.
A 15.827 sees Tsunoda go third - the Japanese quickest in S1 - only to be displaced by Hadjar (15.792).
Leclerc goes third as Norris and Piastri trade fastest sectors.
Norris crosses the line at 15.318, and while Gasly goes second with a 15.569, Piastri responds with a 15.293, despite being held up in the final corner.
"These damn brakes, mate," says Hamilton. "Ugh, these brakes!"
Sainz goes ninth and Albon twelfth, while a 16.044 sees Colapinto go eleventh.
"I bottomed quite hard in Turn 11 and Turn 12," reports Verstappen.
Despite his brake issues Hamilton improves to ninth (15.943), just three places behind his teammate.
The flying laps out of the way, as has become the norm, attention switches to Sunday, Gasly and Russell among the first to switch back to the mediums.
"The brakes are horrendous," says Leclerc. "We need to work on Turns 3, 5, 9 and 11."
While most are on the yellow-banded rubber, Hadjar has opted for hards.
"That was super dangerous of the Red Bull," reports Antonelli following a close call with Tsunoda.
Norris makes short work of Colapinto who appears to think its Sunday afternoon - or perhaps the McLaren seat is up for grabs.
"Something keeps touching my foot under braking for Turn 2," says Verstappen, as he out-drags Colapinto up the hill.
Colapinto is all over the place... no sooner has Verstappen queried "what's he doing man", than the Argentine is getting in the way of Russell.
The yellows are waved as Hadjar appears to have spun at Turn 3. He tries to get going but the car is beached on the kerb.
Red Flag.
Replay show that he began to lose it after running over the kerb at the exit of Tamburello.
As in FP1 it is unlikely the session will resume. That said, Race Control says the session will resume at 17:58.
Another replay has Verstappen searching around in his cockpit, finding a nut (!!!) and then dropping it. "Can you look for it?" he asks the team.
The session resumes and Albon leads the way, followed by the McLarens, Hulkenberg and Leclerc. The Woking pair are on softs.
The session ends, Piastri is quickest, ahead of Norris, Gasly, Russell, Verstappen, Leclerc, Hadjar, Tsunoda, Albon and Sainz.
Hamilton is eleventh, ahead of Bearman , Colapinto, Alonso, Lawson, Bortoleto, Stroll, Antonelli, Hulkenberg and Ocon.
Check out our Friday gallery from Imola here.
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