Verstappen spent both sessions complaining over the radio about the behaviour of his car.
In the first session, the three-time champion was lacking grip at the Acque Minerale combination of corners, while in the afternoon he said: “It is difficult everything, man. This time suddenly the front grips up a lot and I almost spin.”
Leclerc, by contrast, looked comfortable in the upgraded Ferrari all day, after the team introduced their first major development to the car, featuring revised aerodynamics around the bodywork and floor.
Norris, driving the same upgraded McLaren with which he won in Miami, also looked competitive – he retained the fastest time in the second sector throughout the session, underlining his inherent pace despite his lowly position in the timesheets.
On the race-simulation runs later in the session, the margins were small, but Perez appeared the quickest driver, fractionally ahead of Leclerc and then Norris.
Verstappen was still struggling, despite Red Bull bringing their own upgrade, unable to set consistently quick times and running wide at Rivazza at one point.