download

#1031 2020 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix

2021-04-11 01:00

Osservatore Sportivo

#2020, Fulvio Conti, Translated by Giulia Montemurro,

#1031 2020 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix

Domenica 1° Novembre 2020 il Circus della Formula 1 torna dopo quattordici anni a Imola. La gara si svolgerà su una diversa configurazione del circuit

fotor_2023-7-21_0_52_40-fotor-202307210532.jpeg

On Sunday the 1st of  November 2020 the Formula 1 Circus returns to Imola after fourteen years. The race will take place on a different configuration of the circuit, compared to the last time the latter hosted a race valid for the Formula 1 world championship, in the 2006 season with the San Marino Grand Prix. In fact, the track no longer includes the Chicane of the Variante Bassa and after the latest changes over the years it now has a length of 4,909 metres, winding through nineteen bends. Initially, the race was not included in the calendar, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which led to the cancellation and postponement of numerous races, the FIA was forced to redesign the dates of the season. Only on 24 July 2020 was the entry into the Grand Prix calendar announced, for the first time, in the world championship. Already in February, at the beginning of the outbreak of the pandemic, the circuit had been nominated as an alternative venue for Grands Prix that would have been cancelled, such as the case of the Chinese Grand Prix, scheduled for April 19, 2020, canceled by the Federation due to early February and postponed to a later date. Given the prohibition of calling different races, with the same name, in the same championship, and since the Italian Grand Prix and, for the first time this season, the Tuscan Grand Prix, are already present, the Federation calls the appointment with the name Gran Premio dell'Emilia-Romagna, from the name of the Italian region of the same name. This is the second race to be named after an Italian region, after the Tuscan Grand Prix, held in September on the Mugello circuit. The Enzo e Dino Ferrari racetrack has already hosted the Formula 1 world championship, having been the site of the 1980 edition of the Italian Grand Prix and twenty-six editions of the San Marino Grand Prix, between 1981 and 2006. Dell he last Grand Prix held at Imola, the only driver still present in the circus is Kimi Räikkönen, who finished second in the 2003 edition of the San Marino Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton raced there in the GP2 Series in 2006, while Romain Grosjean won a race in the Asian series of the same category in 2011.

 

This is the third different denomination with which the championship is welcomed in Imola, after the Italian Grand Prix and that of San Marino; only the Nürburgring circuit has hosted more races, four, under different titles, including the German Grand Prix, the European Grand Prix, the Luxembourg and the Eifel Grand Prix, held for the first time this season in October. After the National Grand Prix and the Tuscan Grand Prix, Italy is the site of the third world championship race, in the same year, which has never happened before. The only nation that, in the history of the Formula 1 world championship, was the site of more than two titled races in the same season, was the United States of America, in 1982. Also considering the races not valid for the title, the Italy hosted three Formula 1 races in the same year, the last time in 1965, when, in addition to the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, the Syracuse Grand Prix on the track of the same name and the Mediterranean Grand Prix were held. also known as the Enna Grand Prix, held at the Pergusa racetrack in the town of the same name. The race represents the hundredth Grand Prix in Italy in the history of Formula 1. Of the other editions raced in the country, seventy-one concern the Italian Grand Prix, twenty-six the San Marino Grand Prix and one of both the Pescara Grand Prix and the Grand Prix of Tuscany, course this season. Initially the race, like the previous four, involved the participation of spectators in the grandstands. Despite the problems caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the organizers had planned to sell 13,000 tickets for the Grand Prix. Subsequently, due to an increase in cases of positivity dictated by the pandemic in the country and on the basis of the decisions taken and issued with the latest decree announced by the government, in which the absence of the public in sports facilities was made mandatory events, the organizers announce that the Grand Prix will take place behind closed doors, as has already happened between the Austrian Grand Prix, the inaugural race of this season, and the Italian Grand Prix. The news was announced on Thursday 28 October 2020 with a press release released by the organizers:

fotor_2023-7-21_0_52_30-fotor-2023072105252.jpeg

"Formula Imola announces that following the negotiations between the State, the Emilia Romagna Region and the Municipality of Imola on the interpretations of the DPCM of 24 October 2020 containing, among other things, provisions for the conduct of national and international sporting events, an extremely prudential assessment prevailed although the program of the event provided for a very strict discipline of multiple health and safety checks both as regards the inflow and outflow routes of the spectators who have purchased a valid ticket for a pre-assigned and suitably spaced seat in the compliance with the COVID-19 rules previously established by the Italian Government. The Municipality of Imola has tried to propose up to the last minute measures to further contain the health risk, further reducing the capacity initially granted with a regional derogation by President Bonaccini to half the authorized number , but there was no opening to allow the event to take place with open doors albeit in compliance with these proposed rules. The Formula 1 Emirates Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna, scheduled for 31 October - 1 November at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari International Circuit will therefore take place behind closed doors. The organizer Formula Imola is evaluating, in concert with the Government representatives responsible for supervising the formalities relating to the extraordinary cancellation of the presence of the public and hospitality, the methods of refunding the tickets, which in any case will take place within the shortest possible time".

 

For the first time in the history of the Formula 1 World Championship and in this championship, a new format is being tested, a probable object for future races. The Grand Prix, which will be sponsored by Emirates, has a different schedule and takes place over two days instead of normally three. In fact, the two free practice sessions on Friday are not scheduled, but only one, in any case of the same duration as a normal practice session, to be held on Saturday morning. The rest of the format does not undergo any changes, with qualifying on Saturday afternoon and the usual race on Sunday. For this Grand Prix, the International Automobile Federation envisages only one area in which the Drag Reduction System can be used, i.e. the pit straight. The point for determining the gap between riders is positioned after Rivazza (turn 18). The circuit has a DRS zone for the first time since the mobile device was introduced in Formula 1, in the 2011 season. Furthermore, the FIA places it outside the Piratella (turn 9) and at the exit of the chicane of the Variante Alta (turn 15) the sensors to make the riders respect the track limits, due to the cancellation of the lap time. Subsequently, at the end of the single free practice session on Saturday morning, the Federation will add a further area of the track where the drivers will be forced to respect the limits, at the Acque Minerali exit (turn 13). Former Formula 1 driver Emanuele Pirro is appointed as assistant commissioner for the race. The Italian has performed this function on several occasions in the past, most recently at the Spanish Grand Prix. Pirelli, the sole supplier of tyres, carries C2, C3 and C4 compound tyres. In this regard, Mario Isola, Pirelli's Motorsport manager, declares:

 

"We are very satisfied with the results of the development test in Portimao for the validation of the 2021 specifications. We are now analyzing all the data collected, given that by 1 November 2020 we will have to establish the specifications for the next season. This weekend in Imola, instead, activities will all be very concentrated in a very short space of time: after last Sunday's race in Portugal, in fact, the teams will have to adapt quickly to the new two-day format of this weekend, with very little time for free practice on a new track for most of the riders. A situation that also reflects the one unexpectedly experienced at the Nurburgring. A lot is expected from this historic track and the old-school layout, just like Mugello, so we believe the riders will particularly appreciate it. Establishing the right set- up quickly can be the key to success, especially on such a technical track where you have to find many compromises also in terms of performance. Overtaking here is particularly tricky, and the weather can be unpredictable at this time of year: as a result, strategy could play a key role but at the same time it will need to be flexible and adapt quickly to different situations".

fotor_2023-7-21_1_1_13-fotor-202307211148.jpeg

For this special occasion, several riders, including Daniil Kvjat, with an elegant new amaranth livery, mixed with the blue of the team colors and tricolor inserts on the sides of the visor, Lando Norris, who instead of the traditional yellow and blue, evocative of his passion for Valentino Rossi, he proposes the red, white and green, celebratory of the Italian flag, in the hope that on the track named after Enzo and Dino Ferrari the young British talent will be able to interrupt his streak of zeros which has now continued for three Grands Prix , and Antonio Giovinazzi, wears a special helmet for the occasion dedicated to the return of the Formula 1 Circus to Imola. Giovinazzi takes his cue from the Alfa Romeo Tipo 33, while the French Pierre Gasly wears a special helmet with the writing Ayrton Senna, always in homage to the former Brazilian driver who died in the 1994 edition of the San Marino Grand Prix, following an accident at the curve Tamburello. A few days before the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the French driver of the Scuderia AlphaTauri, Pierre Gasly, was confirmed at the helm of the Faenza team for the 2021 season as well. It was the Italian team itself who made it known, through the words of the team Principal Franz Tost:

 

"I am delighted that Pierre will stay with us for the 2021 season. He has been part of the Red Bull driver pool for many years and I hope he will continue to be for many seasons to come. Since returning to the team last year, he has consistently shown great performances and obtained two podium finishes: a second place in Brazil, in 2019, and a victory in the team's home race, at the Italian Grand Prix this year.Pierre has proven to be highly competitive, also thanks to his skills race, bringing out the potential of the car at each event and giving valuable feedback to its engineers. Mentally he is very strong and always motivated, when he sets a goal he gives his best to achieve it. I can't wait to extend this collaboration and aim to another beautiful season together".

 

And the French driver also comments enthusiastically on the renewal of the contract:

 

"I am really happy to continue for another season with Scuderia AlphaTauri. This year he is going very well and we are on track to make him the best in the history of the team. I feel that we have a very strong bond and we have managed to seize every opportunity that presented itself, the best one at the Italian Grand Prix Winning my first Formula 1 race at Monza was a very special moment and it was a great honour to sign the second victory in the history of this team, I'm really proud. I'll do my best to push the team as high as possible. I'm looking forward to next year's challenge with AlphaTauri, both as a brand and as a sports team, to keep giving my best and sharing more beautiful goals in the future".

 

The following day, Friday 29 October 2020, Alfa Romeo announces the renewal of its partnership with Sauber Motorsport for the 2021 Formula 1 season and reconnects with its extraordinary history, bringing a single-seater with a celebratory livery to the eagerly awaited Imola Grand Prix created by the Alfa Romeo Style Centre. That is, there will be a special livery with the Italian tricolour in a straight flash on the upper part of the bonnet and on the end plate of the rear wing, which fades into the theme called speed pixel. And there will also be the exclusive logo for the 110th Alfa Romeo anniversary, flanked by the wording Welcome back, Imola which underlines the iconic nature of the circuit, one of the most important in Italy, the scene of memorable Alfa Romeo victories in the three Touring, Sport and Formula categories 1. The marriage with Sauber - the first took place in 2018 - is going on and after winning eighth place in the past two seasons, it seems possible to confirm this result again this year in the current championship, as explained by Frédéric Vasseur , Team Principal Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN and CEO of Sauber Motorsport AG:

fotor_2023-7-21_1_6_56-fotor-202307211713.jpeg

"The renewal of our collaboration with Alfa Romeo represents a real declaration of intent on the part of both brands. In Sauber, Alfa Romeo has found a partner strongly focused on performance to rely on and we are honoured to welcome the he legacy and successes of Alfa Romeo.Since the very beginning, the two brands have shared the goal of pursuing a partnership that is fruitful in the long term: in the last three seasons we have built solid foundations and we aim to reap the benefits of this work in the 2021 and beyond". In short, the commitment is great, and it is no coincidence that even Mike Manley, CEO of FCA, is present for the event:

 

"Sporting competitions and performance represent the essence of Alfa Romeo. The brand was practically born on circuits and today we continue to compete at the highest level of motorsport. Thanks to the partnership with Sauber, our customers can benefit from know-how exclusive in the field of motor racing, as demonstrated by the new Giulia GTA and GTAm, developed with the technical contribution of Sauber Engineering, especially as regards the specific aerodynamic solutions".

 

Only one day passes, and Alfa Romeo confirms the renewal of the contracts of its two drivers, Antonio Giovinazzi and Kimi Raikkonen. Radiant, on Saturday 30 October 2020 the Italian driver states:

 

"It's a great honour, for me as an Italian, to see Formula 1 racing in my country. Would I like to be supported more for this? No, I don't want favoritism because I'm Italian, I only want to be praised if I get results. I accept criticism, because for me they are a motivation to learn and grow".

 

Regarding the pressure he feels from the possible arrival of young drivers like Mick Schumacher from the Ferrari Academy, he declares:

 

"Do I feel their pressure? It's part of the game, of Formula 1 and of sport. Am I too good? Blame it on my parents. The truth is that it is precisely because I am good that I got this far. And I don't intend to change, at least outside from the track. Instead in the car I became meaner. I am proud of myself, of never giving up and of having managed to move forward and have grown up over the years on my own, without having important sponsors. I have learned a lot in these years from everyone, from the team, to my partner: Kimi is fast and has a lot of experience, just look at what he did on the first lap in Portimao, to beat him I have to be on my perfect day".

 

The most perfect one of the others, would it be to drive a Ferrari?

 

"It remains my dream, I'm still young, maybe in two years, who knows".

 

In the briefing preceding the race weekend, Toto Wolff, team principal of Mercedes, explains his ideas regarding his expectations for this Grand Prix which will be held again at Imola:

fotor_2023-7-21_1_2_35-fotor-20230721134.jpeg

"It's great to see Lewis take victory number ninety-two. It's like Michael said: records are meant to be broken. We've witnessed the incredible journey of one of the greatest athletes of our time and I'm curious to see how far Lewis will go." We showed good pace in Portimao once we got the tires up to temperature and left Portugal with the maximum number of points available, widening the gap in both world standings.Our focus now goes to Imola, another place which we haven't visited for a long time. It's a track with a lot of history and one where Mercedes has never raced before, so there's a bit of uncertainty going into the race weekend. It's good to be in Italy for the third different race this season. We will also experience a different format, with no free practice on Friday and only one session on Saturday morning. We had an unforeseen preview of this kind of situation at the Nurburgring, when Friday was canceled due to the rain. We can expect a complicated and demanding session, in which the teams will try to maximize track time as much as possible in order to better prepare for qualifying and the race. Gathering as much data will be important to be competitive in both situations. We've had exciting racing on the new tracks this year and a shortened format will make things even more unpredictable."

 

For Scuderia Ferrari, the Chief Race Engineer, Matteo Togninalli, talks about Ferrari's expectations for this return to Imola, focusing on the fact that the Grand Prix will take place with a program spread over just two days.

 

"This year's situation has brought new challenges to all the protagonists of this sport, who have shown flexibility and ability to adapt and the Imola weekend is an example of this, with two consecutive races in Europe on circuits more than two thousand kilometers between them it was necessary to find a solution that would avoid an escalation of costs: thus the whole event was compressed into two days of track activity.It has already happened in the past to have to give up a day, just think of the Grand Prix of the Eifel three weeks ago or that of Japan last year, but always due to force majeure: in this case, however, everything was planned and organized in advance".

 

What were the actions taken to prepare in the best way?

 

"With very little time available to analyze the data collected in free practice, we reorganized the work in terms of priorities, allocating resources differently, both on the track and in Maranello and managing materials, I'm thinking of engines and gearboxes or the use of already tested components, in order to minimize times and try to reduce risks as much as possible".

 

All on a track where Formula 1 hasn't raced for fourteen years

 

"Yes, this is one more variable that has an important weight. Preparation for the Grand Prix is increasingly fundamental in trying to get the best possible performance: it applies to the car but also to the drivers, the team and the tires , that is, for everything that is considered the package in the jargon. Without references, as is the case at Imola, the level of refinement is less high and wider scenarios must be considered. Clearly the simulator helps, above all to give the pilots the possibility to familiarize yourself more quickly with the track not only for its conformation but also for those characteristics that can have an impact on performance, such as any bumps in the asphalt, passages on curbs, trajectories and braking references. he learns a new track at incredible speed and quickly reaches the limit but it is a fact that when you ride on new tracks the evolution of lap times is much more marked. It is therefore important to ride as much as possible to get to the optimum faster".

fotor_2023-7-21_1_9_53-fotor-2023072111013.jpeg

Answer sincerely: is such a scenario an advantage or a disadvantage for Ferrari?

 

"I think we've shown in this strange season that we know how to adapt quickly to unusual situations, know how to react to the unexpected and have a very good level of preparation. All in all, I would say it could be an advantage".

 

Will the SF1000 continue to grow at Imola and how will it behave on this track?

 

"Apart from the introduction of new developments, the search for more performance is a continuous work: even if there are no visible elements, the car is always evolving. Also in view of the preparation for 2021 in the final part of this championship we will have solutions to test. This track is very technical, with a fairly high average speed. Rather good weather conditions are expected, with temperatures around 18°-20° C. Also based on what we have seen in the last few races, I believe that the our package can adapt well and that we will be able to extract all the potential available. The contribution of our riders will be fundamental as always".

 

The only one who has already raced in Formula 1 on this circuit is Kimi Raikkonen. Even a veteran like Sebastian Vettel has never raced in it:

 

"I've never raced at Imola, but everyone knows this circuit since it's been a regular fixture on the calendar for many years. In 2006, the last time we raced here, I was there, but I was just a team test driver BMW Sauber. I've never even walked the track and this will be my absolute debut. The track is very beautiful but it doesn't forgive mistakes. I remember the chicane before the finish straight seemed challenging to me but the layout has changed since then and that passage is gone. I can't wait to finally drive at this racetrack".

 

While Charles Leclerc admits to having raced there only in the Formula Renault category:

 

"I only raced at Imola once, back in the Formula Renault days. I really like the track and driving here is exciting. There are very technical passages, especially some corners that don't allow any margin for error. I think drivers who don't know they will love Imola straight away.We will also be testing the two day format this weekend although to be fair we experienced something similar a couple of weeks ago when we were unable to get out of the pits due to bad weather at the Eifel Grand Prix. It will be interesting to see how this compressed weekend unfolds".

 

Saturday 31 October 2020 Lewis Hamilton sets the best time in the only free practice held during the morning, according to the format implemented for this race. The Briton is the only driver to dip below 1'15, achieved with Medium tyres, but the Mercedes also demonstrate competitiveness on the long run. About three tenths behind the time of the British, is Max Verstappen, who precedes the other driver of the Anglo-German team, Valtteri Bottas. Pierre Gasly is fourth, while Charles Leclerc finishes fifth. The Ferrari has problems getting the tires up to temperature, so much so that it has to do two warm-up laps before being able to attack the track with a fast lap. During the trials many times are canceled by the marshals as the pilots go beyond the limits of the track. In addition, Racing Point and McLaren will be fined 1.000 euros by the FIA as Sergio Pérez and Carlos Sainz Jr., during practice, exceed the speed limit in the pit lane. A few hours later, at 2:00 pm, the qualifying phase for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix began, after only one and a half hours of free practice.

fotor_2023-7-21_0_58_38-fotor-2023072105853.jpeg

Kevin Magnussen is the first rider to set a reference time, soon beaten by George Russell and, later, by Lance Stroll. Shortly after, it was the turn of the two AlphaTauri to climb the first two places in the standings, while, subsequently, Charles Leclerc and Sergio Pérez sent between the two cars from Faenza. Max Verstappen remains 61 thousandths behind Daniil Kvjat's time and not even Lewis Hamilton manages to beat the Russian, after hitting a curb and complaining about the vibrations on his car. Only with the second attempt was Hamilton able to take the lead, with a time of 1'15"144. Valtteri Bottas had to abort his first attempt, due to the traffic found on the track. Gasly improves again, reaching only 0.039 second from Hamilton, but who does even better is Leclerc, who even manages to take the provisional first place. The Monegasque's time is then improved by Verstappen, by a tenth of a second. Halfway through the first stage, they still have no valid times Carlos Sainz Jr. and Daniel Ricciardo, as well as Bottas, who sees his performance canceled for exceeding the track limits.The same thing happens to Alexander Albon.Ricciardo takes advantage of a moment of little traffic on the track to look for the best time and finishes eleventh. Stroll recovers to eighth place, while the two Haas place themselves in eleventh and twelfth position. Bottas finally sets a significant time, moving up to second place. A little later Lewis Hamilton limits his time, clocking 1'14"229, and shortly after Albon climbed seventh, ensuring the transition to the second phase. On the other hand, Lance Stroll did not improve, as did Kevin Magnussen who, on the contrary, went out and ended up in the sand, despite rejoining the track. Russell climbs eleventh, then beaten by Kimi Räikkönen. However, the time of the Finn from Alfa Romeo is cancelled. Sainz Jr. and Ocon improve, while Bottas beats Hamilton's time. At the end of Q1, the drivers of Hass, Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, those of Alfa Romeo, with Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi respectively eighteenth and twentieth, separated by Nicholas Latifi. In the early stages of Q2, Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull opt for the use of the Medium tyres, with which to face the second phase of qualifying. Max Verstappen was forced to abandon the first lap after a loss of power from the power unit on his car. 

 

The AlphaTauri confirm their competitiveness, commanding the time list, before the arrival of the Mercedes, with Bottas even faster than Hamilton. The Ferraris, on the other hand, are slower and are forced to fit Soft compound tires in an attempt to get to Q3. After a second attempt, Leclerc is only ninth, while Daniel Ricciardo snaps the fourth fastest time. Albon, on the other hand, spun at the Variante Alta. The Red Bull driver is eleventh fastest. Shortly after, the AlphaTauris improve again, so much so that Pierre Gasly is just one tenth of a second behind the Mercedes. With Soft tires Sebastian Vettel is twelfth, while Leclerc manages to climb up to fourth place. Russell, after setting the best time in the first sector, is eleventh, while Verstappen, in his only attempt, enters fourth place, beaten by Albon and Ricciardo.  Sergio Pérez, Esteban Ocon, Sebastian Vettel, George Russell and Lance Stroll are eliminated. In Q3, Carlos Sainz Jr. alternates at the top of the standings, then Daniil Kvjat and finally Lewis Hamilton who sets a time of 1'13"781; Bottas, close, finishes his first lap in 1'13"812. Verstappen finished third, 0.6 seconds behind Hamilton, but the Dutchman complained about the lack of grip from the tyres. Then follow Gasly and Leclerc. With the second attempt, Hamilton immediately sets the intermediate record in the first sector, however beaten by Valtteri Bottas. Shortly after Daniel Ricciardo climbed to fourth, ahead of Alexander Albon, fifth. Gasly arrives, who is still fourth. At the end of the lap Hamilton improved and set a time of 1'13"706, but Bottas did even better who, with 1'13"609, obtained the pole position, the fourth of the season. The second row is confirmed for Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly, while Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon follow in the third row. In seventh place is Charles Leclerc, who will start from the fourth row together with Daniil Kvyat. Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr. occupy the tenth row. To try to limit Lewis Hamilton's title race, Valtteri Bottas can't start better than this. The pole belongs to him, and the Finnish driver, at the end of qualifying, admits:

fotor_2023-7-21_0_58_28-fotor-2023072105844.jpeg

"It's never easy to take pole, but I really like this track. When you push hard it's a great feeling and I knew I had to bring out everything I had in the last attempt. Turns 2 and 3 were where I had more to work on, and I got there at the end; the same goes for the final corners, where I suffered a bit of instability. I pushed hard, took risks and the car behaved well. I found the small improvements I had need, and it's good when you succeed. Tomorrow will be a good fight: this is one of the biggest draws on the calendar up to turn 1, and no doubt Lewis and Max will threaten me. But it's a good starting point and I hope the race pace be good".

 

But Lewis Hamilton certainly doesn't give up, and promises battle for the race, trying not to underestimate the presence of Max Verstappen, who is following him closely:

 

"Valtteri did a great job this afternoon, while I made a rather poor last attempt. But these things happen, you don't always get the perfect lap. This circuit is incredible, a classic with a crazy history and the speeds mileage is really amazing. I'm happy to be here and to have this kind of performance, which is really fantastic. The tires are working better here than they did in Portugal last weekend, but today was still a real challenge. For tomorrow, I am quite convinced that we will see a rather boring race, because the track is quite narrow and there is no place where you can really overtake after the first chicane. It will be tough when following someone else, but hopefully the DRS is quite effective at the bottom of the first braking section. We saw that Max was very strong in his long runs this morning, so he'll be a threat; tomorrow I'll give everything and we'll see what we can do".

 

Surely Max Verstappen is ready for battle, despite a qualifying that, according to him, was subdued:

 

"It was a bit of a messy qualifying towards the end and the problem we had in Q2 interrupted the flow of the session. Normally, during qualifying you know exactly where you can gain and build, but I've never gotten to that point, because I had to do a lap on the mediums in Q2. After that, in the first part of Q3, not having a precise reference on the soft tyres, everything became more difficult. I think third position was the maximum achievable anyway, not that I expected to beat the Mercedes, but I would have liked to have been closer, if we had had a tidier qualifying. After the session I complimented the mechanics because they managed to put me back on track in Q2. They always do their best even when it's impossible and we must be proud than that. The track is nice to drive. Initially I thought it was too narrow for these cars, so let's hope we have a good race tomorrow".

 

But it went undoubtedly worse for Alex Albon, who was unable to join Max Verstappen on the second row by just one tenth of a second:

 

"It was a very close qualifying, and by just one tenth I would have been in fourth position. All in all, it wasn't a bad qualifying and we can have a good race starting from sixth. The session started quite difficult, but it went better and better. I exceeded the track limits on my first lap in Q3, so there's always a bit of risk. I think with the narrow track and tire degradation, overtaking will be challenging in the race, but it's a new circuit and nobody knows how that will play out, which is exciting, so we'll see how it plays out".

fotor_2023-7-21_0_55_7-fotor-2023072105555.jpeg

There is a mixture of satisfaction and sadness at Ferrari, as Leclerc managed to get through to Q3, unlike Sebastian Vettel, who was left out. However, Ferrari's sporting director Laurent Mekies enthusiastically comments on the result obtained by the Maranello team's drivers:

 

"A qualifying quite similar to the one eight days ago, even if we were hoping for something better. Moreover, this implies the confirmation of the growth of our potential compared to the central phase of the championship, albeit on a track with different characteristics from that of Portimão. Fourth position - what is reasonably our target at the moment - eluded us by just over a tenth with Charles, who however for the ninth time this year is in the top ten on Saturday afternoon.Sebastian seemed to be more comfortable with the car but was unable to make it through Q2 and will find himself starting again from the second half of the grid, albeit with the advantage of being able to choose the best compound with which to do the first part of the race. tried to go through the session with the Mediums in order to have a strategic advantage tomorrow, making his first attempt at Q2 with this compound.After the first response from the stopwatch, if the choice to try again to improve with the Softs was clear for Sebastian, for Charles however, it was too risky to rely on the harder tire again and so we preferred to play it safe. With the weekend format compressed into two days there is obviously less time to prepare for the race in the usual way, considering that the long runs carried out today are a little less representative: there will therefore be one more unknown factor to keep in mind. However, the objective remains unchanged: score the maximum points with both drivers to make up ground in the Constructors' standings".

 

Charles Leclerc, who will start from seventh place in the race, enthusiastically comments on the tests just carried out, especially if you consider that the team had problems finding the right balance:

 

"I love this track, especially in qualifying, when you can take the curbs more aggressively. Today we struggled a bit in terms of balance and I can't be fully satisfied with my laps in Q3. In the end, a seventh position came out of it which isn't terrible even if I was hoping for something better. In fact, we're all very close and if I look at the gap from fourth position it's frustrating to see that we're three squares further back. Tomorrow won't be easy at all, especially because overtaking is very difficult here. We'll have to start with a set of Softs that have already covered two laps in Q2, but I think that once the first stint is finished, we can play our cards. The race is tomorrow, and that's where the points are awarded".

 

And Sebastian Vettel is also satisfied, despite the fact that he failed to get into Q3:

 

"I was satisfied with the quality of my laps even if it's quite clear that today we weren't able to be fast enough to deserve the shift. In qualifying I felt better than in free practice this morning and I tried to extract all the potential from the car. Feeling more comfortable, I risked a bit but I made a few mistakes running wide at the chicane and losing a position for going beyond the track limits. We'll start rather far back and tomorrow it won't be easy to recover since the overtaking here they are not easy at all. In the race it will be important to safeguard the tires and then we will see how things turn out. I think the goal will be to make a single stop. Today for me it was the first day on the Imola track and I am still refining my harmony with this circuit. I can already say, however, that it is a very beautiful track in which I hope to have the opportunity to compete again in the near future".

fotor_2023-7-21_0_56_21-fotor-2023072105647.jpeg

On Sunday 1 November 2020, under a partly cloudy sky, at 1:10 pm the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the thirteenth round of the Formula 1 World Championship, will start. Valtteri Bottas is called to limit the possibilities of his teammate team to become World Champion for the seventh time, while the Mercedes team has the great opportunity to close the Constructors' World Championship in its favour, in Imola, Italy. In both cases, however, the feeling is that the appointment with history can only be postponed. After all, Mercedes, which commands the championship reserved for constructors, with a 209-point lead over Red Bull, must get 12 points to win the seventh consecutive title. Therefore, even in the event of a one-two for Red Bull Racing, fourth place would be enough for Mercedes to win the championship. At the start, Valtteri Bottas maintained the lead, while Lewis Hamilton was unable to defend his position from the attack of Max Verstappen, who took second place. Fourth is Daniel Ricciardo who passes Pierre Gasly, unintentionally blocked by Hamilton. Then follow Charles Leclerc, Alexander Albon and Daniil Kvjat. In the rear, a contact damaged the front wing of Lance Stroll's Racing Point and he was immediately forced into the pits. The classification, at least in the top positions, remained unchanged until the ninth lap, when Gasly retired due to a technical problem. Bottas maintains an advantage of over a second over Verstappen and over three over his teammate, Hamilton. On lap thirteen, Leclerc stops and opts for the use of Hard tyres. The following lap, Ricciardo, Albon and Kvjat also stop, and they also decide to switch to Hard tyres. In the following laps, however, the two McLaren drivers opt for the use of Medium tyres. On lap eighteen, Verstappen made the pit stop , followed, on the following lap, by Bottas. Both drivers switch to Hard tyres. Hamilton, for his part, decides to extend his stint on the Medium compound. The race is led by the British, followed by Bottas and Verstappen; the Dutchman is followed by a group of riders who have not yet made any tire changes: Sergio Pérez, Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Räikkönen, Nicholas Latifi and Kevin Magnussen. The first of the riders to have new tires on the other hand is Ricciardo, ninth. Hamilton, with a series of fast laps, manages to widen the margin on his pursuers, bringing his lead over Bottas to 26.4 seconds and that over Verstappen to 28.1 seconds.

 

Pérez is over thirty-four seconds behind the Briton. Ricciardo, meanwhile, overtook Magnussen at Tamburello, while Charles Leclerc got rid of the Haas driver at Tosa. On lap twenty-ninth Esteban Ocon retired due to a problem with the gearbox, leaving the car leaving the Acque Minerali. The stewards decide on the definition of the virtual safety car, which is used by Hamilton to change tyres. The Briton rejoins the track comfortably first, with a margin of more than four seconds over Bottas. Pérez also stops to put on new tyres: this allows Vettel to climb to fourth, with Kimi Räikkönen fifth. On the thirty-ninth lap Vettel stops in the pits; the stop is very long, causing the German driver to lose ten seconds. After a few laps in which Verstappen pressed Bottas, who had problems with the rear of the car, the Finn made a small mistake at Rivazza. This allows the Red Bull rider to approach and overtake Bottas at Tamburello. Hamilton is able to widen the margin up to over thirteen seconds on Max Verstappen, while he seems unable to keep up with the first two Bottas. On lap forty-eight, Kevin Magnussen retired, last, due to a severe headache. On the fiftieth lap, Kimi Räikkönen stops, who was fourth. The Alfa Romeo driver decides to complete the race on Soft tyres. Shortly afterwards, Verstappen suffered a puncture, which took him off the track, into the gravel, at Villeneuve, forcing the Dutch driver to retire. The race direction sends the safety car onto the track. In the following laps many drivers make their second stop, to put on soft tyres: Bottas, Pérez, Kvjat, Sainz Jr., Hamilton and Vettel. George Russell, while behind the safety car, loses control of his Williams, hits the wall and retires. Lance Stroll decides to put on new tyres, but at the pit stop he runs long on the change pit and hits a mechanic. At the restart, Lewis Hamilton continues to lead the pace, followed by Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo, Charles Leclerc, Alexander Albon, Sergio Pérez and Daniil Kvjat. Kvjat breaks free at the end of the straight from Pérez and Albon, with the latter still on Hard tyres. At Villeneuve it was then the Mexican's turn: the Red Bull driver, in an attempt to take back the position on his rival, spun, was touched by Carlos Sainz Jr. and was removed from the group.

fotor_2023-7-21_0_55_18-fotor-2023072105550.jpeg

Meanwhile, Kvjat passes Leclerc, also on Hard tyres, at the Piratella, and approaches Ricciardo. The Ferrari driver, on the other hand, must beware of the aggressive Pérez. Lewis Hamilton wins the race, putting together one fast lap after another in the final laps; Valtteri Bottas and Daniel Ricciardo complete the podium. An extraordinary Daniil Kvyat followed at the finish line, Charles Leclerc with a Ferrari in clear recovery, Sergio Pérez, Carlos Sainz Jr., Lando Norris, and the two Alfa Romanian drivers, Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi. With the results of the Grand Prix, Mercedes won the constructors' world championship for the seventh consecutive year. With first and second place in the race, Mercedes reaches 500 podiums as an engine manufacturer in the Formula 1 world championship. Once the race is over, Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff spend long moments together, and indulge in hugs and affectionate gestures. After that, the Briton - opening up to questions from journalists - declared:

 

"It's all so overwhelming. I look at this team and think of every person in Brackley and Brixworth, they are the heroes who are never talked about. They are the ones who never give up, always push, innovate. Big congratulations to the team on a constructors' title richly deserved. He will always be grateful to everyone and I am proud to be a part of it all. To come back year after year and produce such performances is absolutely incredible. Seven world titles, that's something I will tell my grandchildren one day. No team has ever achieved like this. so much and I feel honored to be part of this record. A big thank you goes to the Mercedes family, Petronas and all our partners, as we would not have been able to achieve this without them. The race was grueling, particularly for the speeds you have on this track. I had a problematic start but I extended the stint thus finding a way to get back in front. It's fantastic to have obtained the title today at Imola in great style, with a 1-2".

 

And Toto Wolff is equally euphoric, who as team principal of this extraordinary team has obtained further historic recognition:

 

"This is an incredible moment, this afternoon is the culmination of everything. This has been an abnormal season in so many ways and that makes me proud that we managed to achieve all of this. Tears, blood and sweat were needed behind the fifth, a lot of people have made huge sacrifices to get to this, so a big thank you to everyone, here at the track as well as at the factory in Brackley and Brixworth We have an outstanding group of people who continue to push and raise the standards at new levels, but what stands out the most is the camaraderie in the team and the right values that animate it. A big thank you goes to Mercedes for their support and trust in the team, when I think of how much they support us I am really happy. Thanks also To everyone at Petronas, we couldn't have achieved this without you! Petronas have played a huge part, they have been with us since day 1 and we are proud to represent them on track. I don't know where this team will go from here on out, but I am curious to see what the future holds for this fantastic group of people, who are always motivated and always want to raise the bar".

 

Valtteri Bottas joins the compliments expressed by Hamilton and Wolff regarding the Mercedes team, today World Champion again, but adds a curious background relating to its sudden slowdown:

 

"My biggest congratulations to the team for winning the Constructors' Championship! I'm proud to be a part of this team and grateful for everyone's hard work and dedication. It's a well deserved title and I'm delighted for everyone on track, in Brackley, Brixworth and Stuttgart. This team keeps pushing and raising the bar and it's inspiring to work with such a dedicated group. Obviously it was a tough race for me today. The start was really good but on the second lap, at Tosa, there was it was debris on the track I had no way to avoid it so I aimed it with the center of the car not to damage the tyres, but it created damage and got stuck in the car somehow, so it became difficult to drive and cost me performance. I tried to push as hard as possible to keep Max behind me and ended up making a couple of mistakes. It was an unlucky day for me after such a promising start, but it's good to have scored another podium and done my part in winning the constructors' title".

fotor_2023-7-21_0_52_45-fotor-202307210539.jpeg

Daniel Ricciardo is not missing from the party, who after obtaining the first podium so coveted by Renault, repeats himself and also manages to obtain third place at Imola:

 

"Two podiums in three races! I'm very happy and this time I haven't forgotten to be shoey. We were pretty stuck in fifth position, then Max's problem brought in the safety car. It was right to stay out, especially after Perez was back in the pits. It's quite difficult to pass here and today our tactics paid off. It's a shame for Esteban, because the car was going very well today. This result is worth third place in the Constructors' championship, which is what the team is aiming for. I'm delighted to come away from Imola with a nice podium, a big thank you to everyone in the team. No second tattoos this time though, I think Cyril has suffered enough".

 

The race showed excellent progress from Ferrari, which compared to the previous Italian outings managed to bring one of its drivers into the points. And the declarations of Mattia Binotto at the end of the race turn in favor of this argument:

 

"I think we can rightly say that the progress we have seen in the last few races is consolidating, also and above all in terms of race pace, on tracks and in different conditions. It is an important fact both for this season finale and in view of the next one. Charles was once again very good, both in tire management and in the defensive phase. Seb also had a good race and we are very sorry for the problem at the pit stop which took him out of the top ten positions in the standings and made us lose precious points. Finally, I want to congratulate Mercedes on winning the Constructors' championship title. For our part, we know very well that there is a long way to go to get back to fighting for those objectives that we compete but we are equally convinced that we will succeed".

 

Finished fifth, Charles Leclerc is happy with the improvements shown by the Maranello car:

 

"Today's fifth position satisfies me, I think it was the best. We were expecting a very difficult first stint but in reality we proved to be quite competitive. At the pit stop we put on Hard tires and with those we were probably a little faster than Daniel (Ricciardo), who was in front of me, but not enough to try to overtake. In fact I found myself stuck behind him. At the restart after the Safety Car I struggled more than Daniil who had new tires and was recovering from behind and I had to give him the pace. I would say that today I pushed from start to finish and that we were quite competitive throughout the race. I'm also satisfied with how we were able to manage the tyres".

 

Sebastian Vettel is slightly less satisfied, who without the mistake made during the pit stop could have achieved a good result:

 

"We started the race on the Medium tires which were the best compound to have today since they still worked very well even after several laps. I would say that the pace was good today, especially in the first stint, then unfortunately we lost a lot of time in the pit stop and this ruined our race. In the final, with the Safety Car, we put on the Soft tire to try and recover but I struggled a lot when I found myself in the back group. Clearly it's not the result we want but this time I don't even believe what we deserve. I felt at ease in the car, although more than in the race this year the problems in terms of sensations are mainly in qualifying. We must remain patient and continue to collect the small progress we make race after race. This weekend we missed access to Q3 by just two tenths and therefore we have made progress in this area too. We must continue like this because if we manage to start a little later in the coming weekends we can have very different races in terms of results".

fotor_2023-7-21_0_52_35-fotor-2023072105257.jpeg

There is instead no reason to be happy in the Red Bull garage, where Max Verstappen is understandably disappointed with an unexpected retirement:

 

“I had a good start and in general I enjoyed being with the Mercedes and battling with them. At the start I overtook Lewis; then I pitted early to start the pit stops, and Valtteri followed me. Unfortunately he had some damage. and he slowed us down after the pit, giving Lewis a big favor, who had a clear road in front of him. Once he passed, the pace and the car were great. I was having a lot of fun, when suddenly, on the straight, I had some sort of problem. to one tyre. It was a big shame, because we would have scored a second place and another podium. Clearly, getting zero points is not what we wanted, but overall it was a very positive race”.

 

With regard to the tire blowout, which conditioned Max Verstappen's race, Pirelli's motorsport manager, Mario Isola, states that the puncture was probably caused by debris deposited on the track:

 

"The safety car in the final stages heavily influenced the race strategy: up to that moment, most of the drivers were oriented towards a pit stop, also due to the time lost here at Imola in going through the pit lane. A due to some graining on the soft at the start of the race, the strategies until then were oriented more towards the Hard for the second stint.The Medium compound, chosen at the start by the two Mercedes drivers on the front row, showed minimal degradation over the stint The Hard was also used by many riders for over forty laps. Obviously we will have to analyze the Medium used by Max Verstappen for thirty-two laps, to understand exactly what happened: the puncture seems to have been caused by some debris on the track. Congratulations to Mercedes for a record seven consecutive Constructors' titles: after a very intense race from a strategic point of view, Hamilton made the most of the advantage offered by the virtual safety car".

 

Equally disappointed is Alex Albon, author of a race that certainly didn't reflect his talent due to the complex management of a car, the RB16, which is very difficult to drive:

 

“Last place doesn't reflect what really happened in the race. It was tough, one of those races where you spend a lot of time behind other cars. I still don't know what happened at the restart: the tires were cold and I had to push hard to to stay ahead of those who had stopped in the pits in the meantime; this induced my spin, although I had the feeling of being touched, but I'm not sure. It all happened so fast. In hindsight, maybe we would have We could have done something different. If we too had stopped on the Softs, we probably could have achieved a better result. Clearly, this is not the position we were aiming for. Now I will concentrate on Turkey and the positive aspects of this weekend, which means the feeling with the car and a positive Saturday”.

 

In the minutes and hours following the conclusion of the Grand Prix, the entire Mercedes team celebrates its seventh title in the world championship dedicated to manufacturers. A result obtained thanks to the concentration of experienced men, capable of starting and continuing a winning cycle that has now lasted for seven years, and which seems to see no end. Also thanks to Lewis Hamilton and the presence of a team principal like Toto Wolff: it is therefore strange that the British driver's contract is about to expire, and a solution has not yet been found that could satisfy both parties, allowing this team to continue this incredible streak of victories. In the meantime, however, with the Constructors' World Championship completed, the Drivers' World Championship remains to be decided, where Hamilton leads the standings with 282 points, against 197 points for teammate Valtteri Bottas. Thanks also to this latest victory, the Briton now has the chance to win his seventh title already in Turkey, equaling the legendary German driver Michael Schumacher. Certainly not an impossible operation, given the amazing form and the recent winning streak of Lewis Hamilton, ready to continue his domination in Formula 1.


instagram
twitter
youtube
whatsapp
tiktok
spotify