Image source, Getty Images

There's a new kid on the block this weekend - the C6 compound.

This red tyre is the softest of this week's trio brought along to the iconic 19-turn Imola circuit, with the C4 as the white hard and the C5 as the yellow medium.

With the Italian track being less abrasive than others on the calendar, supplier Pirelli says the C6 could provide a decent amount of grip when it comes to one-lap pace.

Second practice is green.

Image source, Getty Images

Ian Fergusson
BBC weather forecaster

Air temperature 19.7C and the track 37.9C.

Breeze from the east-northeast to east, with gusts to 27kph/17mph in the past hour.

Dry and fine; FIA official risk of rain is 0%.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Ben Edwards, former McLaren mechanic Marc Marc Priestley and F1 correspondent Andrew Benson are back with us.

You can listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and at the top of this page using the 'listen live' tab.

Alternatively, you can also ask BBC Sounds to play Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix practice two via most smart speakers.

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

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Red Bull have some upgrades on the car, including a revised side-pod shape and radiator inlet, but Max Verstappen was complaining of a lack of rear grip over the radio as he lapped 0.36secs off the pace.

The demands of the old-school Imola circuit caught out a number of drivers, as Lewis Hamilton and his team-mate Charles Leclerc were among those who ran wide or bounced over the kerbs at one of the three chicanes that populate the historic track.

There was a very late red flag in first practice brought out for a crash involving the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto. The Brazilian ran off onto the gravel and hit the barriers towards the end of the lap, telling his pit wall after the impact he thought it was just the front wing that had been damaged.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

McLaren took a one-two in the opening practice session of the weekend earlier on, with championship leader Oscar Piastri leading team-mate Lando Norris by 0.032 seconds.

The Williams of Carlos Sainz finished third on the timesheets, George Russell in the Mercedes was fourth and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton ended his hour in fifth place.

There was not much to separate the top five drivers - just under a tenth of a second was the difference from Piastri to seven-time world champion Hamilton.

Lorraine McKenna
BBC Sport Journalist

Hello again, folks. The sun is still shining brightly in Imola as the circuit prepares for the next hour of Formula 1 action. If this is your first time dipping in to the page today, lovely to have you with us.

The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix is the first of three races coming up in quick succession. The next stops on this second triple-header of the campaign are the glitz and glamour of Monaco next weekend followed by the familiar face of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain from 30 May-1 June.

Second practice here gets going at 16:00 BST.

The homemade signs are always something else in Italy. Here's one dedicated to 'Papa Fernando' Alonso, the newly anointed 'Holy Father' of the grid. How much does a sign like this cost to make?

Image source, Getty Images

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Oscar Piastri led Lando Norris to a McLaren one-two in first practice at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

Less than a 10th of a second covered the top five cars, as Williams driver Carlos Sainz took third place ahead of Mercedes' George Russell and Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton.

The session was brought to a premature end two minutes before the scheduled end when Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto crashed at the second Rivazza corner.

The Brazilian lost control at the right-hander, effectively the last corner on the lap, when he got a snap of oversteer mid-corner. The car flicked into the barriers pretty much front-on and damaged his front wing and nose.

Read the full report here

The margins are tight at the top after the opening practice session at the old-school Imola circuit, with the front five drivers separated by just 0.096 seconds.

This seems like a perfect time to stop for a break and to go and enjoy the sunshine - but sadly not, if you're a Sauber mechanic. Gabriel Bortoleto's car needs some emergency surgery.

We'll come back together at 15:45 BST for second practice, which gets under way at 16:00.

See you in a bit.

11. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

12. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

13. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)

14. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

15. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)

16. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull)

17. Franco Colapinto (Alpine)

18. Oliver Bearman (Haas)

19. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)

20. Esteban Ocon (Haas)

1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 1:16.545

2. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.032

3. Carlos Sainz (Williams) +0.052

4. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.054

5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.096

6. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +0.151

7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.360

8. Alex Albon (Williams) +0.377

9. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) +0.380

10. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) +0.453

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

There are big disparities between team-mates. It looks like Hamilton is the happier one of the two Ferrari drivers. George Russell, a little bit happier than Kimi Antonelli, the home hero or we hope he will be. Carlos Sainz quicker than his team-mate. There is a little more work to do on some sides of the team garages, but that's what practice sessions are for.

The session comes to a close with Oscar Piastri top of the timesheets with a 1:16.545 on the new C6 soft compound.

Lando Norris is second, Carlos Sainz is third, George Russell ends his hour fourth and Lewis Hamilton puts his Ferrari fifth.

Postpublished at 13:32 British Summer Time 16 May

13:32 BST 16 May

Gabriel Bortoleto is safely out of the car, which is always great to see. The Brazilian driver is ninth on the timesheets in first practice but now his Sauber mechanics will have a bit of work to do to get him back in shape for the second hour later on.

Bortoleto crashespublished at 13:30 British Summer Time 16 May

13:30 BST 16 May

The red flag is shown with only a few minutes left of the session. Gabriel Bortoleto was gearing up for the double left-hander of Rivazza but the Brazilian takes a bit too much kerb and loses the rear of the car, sending him onto the gravel and into the barriers.

Yellow flagpublished at 13:28 British Summer Time 16 May

13:28 BST 16 May

Gabriel Bortoleto is off at Turn 18. He tells Sauber he's OK, but I don't think the front of the car is.

Lewis Hamilton is on the team radio to Ferrari. It's nothing like we heard at Miami, this time it's to do with a Racing Bulls car, which overtakes him at Rivazza then pops on the brakes. Hamilton flags he "just brake-tested me" to his engineer straight away. Neither car was doing top speeds, but the seven-time champion was eagle-eyed to the move.

With only eight minutes left of the session, Oscar Piastri is leading the pack with a 1:16.545 from McLaren team-mate Lando Norris and the Williams of Carlos Sainz. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton complete the top five, which will hopefully be a positive sign for Ferrari's Hamilton.

Image source, Reuters

Nico Hulkenberg is clocking some laps on the soft tyre in the Sauber but the Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton is suddenly in his way. The German lets slip a naughty word on the team radio and says it's a dangerous position to be in. Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda has also found how difficult the Imola traffic can be as he tries to weave his way past another red car.

Over at Williams, Alex Albon is pushing his car to the limit but he ends up taking a few trips on to the gravel at various sections of the track, including the opening chicane and the first part of Rivazza. Back to the pits, Alex for some TLC.