Formula 1 2024: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
Track Insights:
The Imola Grand Prix track, officially known as the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, is a historic circuit located in Imola, Italy. The track is known for its challenging layout that winds through the beautiful Italian countryside. Originally built in the 1950s, Imola gained international recognition as a Formula One venue in the 1980s. The circuit is famous for hosting some memorable races in Formula One history, including the tragic weekend in 1994 when both Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger lost their lives. Despite the hardships, the track continues to be a favorite among drivers and fans alike, attracting motorsport enthusiasts from around the world to witness thrilling races. The undulating nature of the track presents a true test of skill for drivers, making it a beloved venue in the world of motorsport.
This track sees drivers go through another set of 19 curves, corners and chicanes. There is 1 DRS zone and a lap length of 4.909km. Drivers are tasked with navigating this notortiously narrow and unforgiving circuit 63 times for a total of 309.049km.
Starting Grid:
Pole Position: Max Verstappen: Red Bull
P2: Lando Norris: Mclaren
P3: Charles Leclerc: Ferrari
P4: Carlos Sainz: Ferrari
P5: Oscar Piastri: Mclaren
P6: George Russell: Mercedes
P7: Yuki Tsunoda: VCRB
P8: Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes
P9: Daniel Riccardo: VCRB
P10: Nico Hulkenberg: HAAS
P11: Sergio Perez: Red Bull
P12: Esteban Ocon: Alpine
P13: Lance Stroll: Aston Martin
P14: Alex Albon: Williams
P15: Pierre Gasly: Alpine
P16: Valtteri Bottas: Sauber
P17: Zhou Guanyu: Sauber
P18: Kevin Magnussen: HAAS
P19: Logan Sargeant: Williams
P20: Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin
Race Highlights:
I’m not going to sugar coat this one- it was pretty uneventful until the last 10 laps. And when I say uneventful, I mean had me questioning whether waking up at 6:45am was really worth it. We were told that there would be a 100% of a safety car in this race that would make it interesting- spoiler alert: no safety car was deployed during this race. I do have to say, there were moments here and there that sparked interest but again, it was Lando Norris who really decided to give us a show in the end and it was worth it.
From the start, it was going to be a game of tire strategy. Who was going to how many stops and when were they going to do them? The consensus was that most teams were likely going to be on a one stop plan- when that stop would occur would be dependent on the tire they started out on. For the most part, the predictions were accurate with just a few exceptions. The first one being Alex Albon from Williams who suffered a malfunction after his first pit stop when the right front tire wasn’t out on correctly. Luckily, he was able to make it back to the pits to have it fixed but Williams did recieve a 10-second stop and go penalty for releasing the vehicle under unsafe conditions. He would go on to have to retire the car after 51 laps.As the race went on, pit stop strategy were altered depending on when certain teams pitted which of their pairs. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez stayed out on his hard tires the longest, pitting on lap 38 but as usual, it is no where near that of his teammate or even the Mclaren of Norris and both Ferraris. Plus, with the narrow track that saw the gravel pits brought closer to the pavement this season, he was their first victim when he slid off the track and into one. Luckily he was able to get back on but he lost valuable time. He wasn’t the only victim though. Replays showed the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton lock up and go through the gravel as well which cost him in the fight with Sainz for fifth.
Let’s get to the good part. The final ten laps. Coming off his first Grand Prix win, Lando Norris and Mclaren were looking for a repeat- which hasn’t been done sby anyone other Max Verstappen since 2022. And he made the Dutchman work for this win like he hasn’t worked for it in a very long time. As the final ten laps wound down, Norris pushed his Mclaren as hard as he could- within less than a second of the Red Bull to be clear. Per team radios- Max was struggling with his tires and the overall handling of the car while Lando was doing his beast to keep the pressure on his friend. To illustrate just how close this race was, had Max made 1 mistake, locked up in the wrong spot or gone over track limits (which he was already given a black and white flag for)- he would have lost P1. At the end of the day though, he was able to fend off Mclaren but it will cause worry. Red Bull brought upgrades to Imola and they very clearly did not perform as expected. With Adrian Newey no longer having any part in the design and upgrades in Red Bull, do they have what it takes to bring a fourth championship home? Or will we perhaps see someone else hoisting the trophy at the end of the season?
Podium:
1st: Max Verstappen: Red Bull (25)
2nd: Lando Norris: Mclaren (18)
3rd: Charles Leclerc: Ferrari (15)
