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On Sunday, May 19, 2024, at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit in Imola, Italy, the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, the seventh race of the Formula 1 World Championship, will take place. The Imola event is the first World Championship round held on Italian soil this season. The other scheduled race is the traditional Italian Grand Prix in Monza in September. In 2023, the seventieth anniversary of the circuit's construction was celebrated, while this season marks the thirtieth anniversary of the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. For this Grand Prix, Pirelli, the sole tyre supplier, offers a choice between C3, C4, and C5 compounds, the softest compounds available in the supplier’s range. The FIA has designated a single DRS (Drag Reduction System) zone on the main straight of the pits, consistent with the choice made since the inaugural edition in 2020. The detection point, where the gap between drivers is measured, is located before Turn 17. The Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit in Imola is one of the few tracks on the Formula 1 World Championship calendar where only one DRS zone is utilised. The detection point and activation point for the DRS have undergone several modifications. For the 2020 inaugural edition, the detection point was set after Turn 18 and the activation point on the finish line. In the 2021 edition, the detection point was moved before Turn 17, and the activation point was positioned before Turn 19.
In the 2022 edition, the detection point was placed even further back before Turn 17, while the activation point remained unchanged. Starting from the 2023 edition, before its cancellation, the detection point was positioned in the same place, but the activation point was moved forward, after Turn 19. This latest change was made after analysing the DRS zones in 2022, introducing adjustments for 2023 to facilitate overtaking or make it more challenging in certain circuits where the DRS zone was deemed too easy or difficult for overtaking. Compared to the last edition held in 2022, the circuit has undergone some modifications. Gravel has been added at the exit of the Variante Alta (Turns 14 and 15), and the asphalt section reduced at Turn 15 on the right side. It has also been reduced at the exit of Piratella (Turn 9) on the right side, as well as at Acque Minerali (Turns 12 and 13) on the left side. New double kerbs have been installed on the left side at Turns 2, 4, 5, 9, and 19, and on the right side at Turns 3, 6, 11, and 12, and at the exit of Turn 15. At the beginning of the kerb at Turn 6 on the right side, a layer of asphalt has been installed to remove the step between the kerb and the edge. Between Turn 7 and Turn 8 on the right side, two manhole covers have been replaced with a recessed cover. Before the start of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix weekend, Ferrari announced a change of race engineer for Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc. Spaniard Xavi Marcos is replaced by Bryan Bozzi. Regarding this, Scuderia Ferrari Team Principal Frédéric Vasseur says:
"Bryan was at Ferrari before I even arrived. He has known Charles for a long time, and they have worked a lot together on a technical level. In our continuous growth process, we believe Bryan can help us improve. When you are within hundredths of a second, if you feel that something can give you an extra push, you have to do it".
Additionally, on Monday, May 13, 2024, Scuderia Ferrari hired engineer Loic Serra and former Belgian driver Jerome d'Ambrosio, both from Mercedes. Serra takes on the role of Head of Chassis Performance Engineering, while d'Ambrosio becomes Deputy Team Principal and heads the Ferrari Driver Academy. Their roles will be effective from October 1, 2024.
"It’s the life of the team: with thousands of employees, there are always people coming and going. You mustn't take things too personally. A part of the team is working this weekend, a part on the next updates, and a part on the 2025 car, of which the project has already kicked off. Jerome has extensive experience in motorsport, both as a driver and in management. He is an important reinforcement for us for the future".
However, despite the recent reinforcements, fans continue to dream of the arrival of Adrian Newey at Ferrari. A suggestion that Vasseur continues to gloss over:
"Adrian is the most successful engineer in the paddock. I have no further comments, though, as we are at a point in the season where we are focused on the short term. We are pushing like hell. Ferrari’s goal today is to improve step by step".
Then, speaking about the technical updates they brought to the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, the Ferrari Team Principal confesses:
"We started even before the inaugural race. To be ready for Bahrain, everything had to be finished by January. Since February, we have been working on the first updates. The decision was to bring everything here and not to anticipate anything in China or Miami because they were Sprint weekends, while in Imola we have three practice sessions. If you look at the last two years, with updates, you can gain two-tenths, but also lose as much due to the setup. The performance gain is not immediate. Competitiveness is very track-dependent. In China, we were 4-5 tenths behind, while the following weekend we were fighting with Red Bull, and the one before that, we might have been slightly ahead. Since the start of the season, the gap to them oscillates between 0 and 4 tenths, and it might be like that until the end of the year. Certainly, though, it is less than half a second. With various updates, you can end up ahead or at the back. We are developing the car, but we must remember that a lot depends on track work, setup, and the drivers. Updates definitely help: if the gaps are in the order of hundredths of a second, going a tenth faster with developments can make a difference. We need to stay calm. In May last year, we were a second behind, while in the last Grand Prix in Miami, we were a tenth behind. The leap forward is huge. Red Bull is still slightly ahead. We have to gain hundredth by hundredth".
Regarding the updates we will see on the SF24, Carlos Sainz Jr. says:
"It’s not a package that changes your life. We obviously hope to have more downforce, but we can’t say until the first track results. During the filming day at Fiorano, we couldn’t understand much because in this type of test, you don’t have a benchmark. The car has changed a lot, but we had to drive in a certain way to allow new sponsors to capture all the new photos, which is the real purpose of those 200 km. To feel and understand the differences, you need to drive the old version first and then the new one. If you can’t make this comparison, the only opportunity we have is the simulator, which sometimes doesn’t tell you everything. For me, it’s not a problem of getting the tyres up to temperature or not. Simply this car is slower in qualifying than the SF-23 but faster in the race. That’s why I say it’s not difficult for me to get the tyes up to temperature. When I start a qualifying lap, I feel everything is ready, but in the end, I’m slower than I thought. In the race, the opposite happens, but I don’t think it’s related to temperature because the values we record are exactly the same as last year. Imola is a challenging circuit that shouldn’t be bad for Ferrari, but I think it will suit McLaren very well. I expect a very tight race: Lando won in Miami, yes, with some luck, but he was the fastest driver on track; this is a circuit for them, and they have been very competitive in the last two editions in 2021 and 2022. Imola is full of medium and fast corners, where McLaren does well, as does Red Bull. We have improved a lot in these corners, so I am confident we will be fine, but as I said, it will be tight".
Regarding recent decisions made by the FIA that penalised him during the last Grand Prix in Miami, the Spanish driver says:
"In Miami, I arrived second at the first corner, and to avoid Perez, I came out fourth: this changed the whole race. Sometimes I just don’t understand everything the FIA does because that manoeuvre cost us the race. Perez clearly came in out of control, but he didn’t have contact with anyone and didn’t get a penalty. For me, that overtaking, that wrong braking, was much worse than what I did later in the race, but one gets a penalty and the other doesn’t. Another not-so-good thing for Formula 1 is that I found out three hours after the race. I was confident when the stewards listened to us (Sainz and Piastri, ed.). They were very calm and agreed with me, so I left convinced I wouldn’t get a penalty. Getting the five seconds, therefore, surprised me, and as I said, there are times I just don’t understand".
Fernando Alonso, who has recently been very critical of the FIA and has also spoken with its president, Ben Sulayem, says:
"There are still many ongoing discussions between drivers, FIA, and stewards about future regulations and driver conduct. I believe that from our point of view, the penalties have been inconsistent. When there's an incident or an episode under investigation, there's always one side that thinks differently from the other, but that's the nature of the sport. There have been cases, especially in the last two or three years, where different parties think the same way, while the stewards think differently, which is the strangest aspect. It's something we need to work on, and I was happy to read an article the other day in which Perez and Sargeant said that the penalties were strange, and that means I'm not the only one who thinks so. We have always tried to do our best without making contact, and we have seen how sensitive these cars are from an aerodynamic point of view, even when going into the gravel, and here at Imola, there's a lot of it. It’s almost a retirement because it damages the car. The last thing we want to do is make contact, but it's part of the nature of racing. We need to make everything simpler, each of us is trying to improve from our mistakes in order to have an easier weekend. Even in qualifying, it's not easy when you exit the box because there are some cars in the pit lane, and you don't know if you'll have enough time to complete the lap or not. You are at the mercy of other drivers from the moment they shift into first gear and leave the pit lane to see if you have time or not. These things are new, we haven't had them in 75 years, so they are things that all of us, drivers, teams, FIA, need to discuss together, because sometimes we aren't on the same page. There are teams that fight among themselves, or drivers and teams that don't agree on something, so this is the biggest difficulty we have and we hope to manage it".
In conclusion, Alonso reflects on the updates Aston Martin will bring for this weekend, without getting ahead of himself:
"There was a good step forward in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Japan, and a bit in Miami. In every race, we bring some new parts, and it won't be different here in Imola. Tomorrow we will see if they will bring improvements in the free practices, especially since it won't be a sprint unlike the last two weekends, and we will have more time to optimise the package and the setup, but I don't think it will be different from all the other races. We will also see in the upcoming races in Monaco, Barcelona, and Canada".
At Imola, a narrow track that makes it difficult to overtake, qualifying will be very important to hope for a good race result. After the difficulties of the first races, Leclerc regained the determination that distinguishes him in Miami. A good sign that gives hope, thanks also to the work done at the factory.
"The desire is there, and it's strong. Both in China and Miami in qualifying, I found the right feeling again, but as I often said, the line is very thin. Not just for me, but for everyone. Sometimes we've seen surprises, and I believe that this year, even more than in the past, the operating window of the tyres is really narrow. You need to be on top of it and judge it well every weekend. Each weekend can be different, but I think I have solved my main problem related to the preparation lap. I've worked a lot and we've seen the results. I am confident it will continue this way, but we still need to work to make sure it doesn't happen again. We all hope for a good result here, although I still can't say exactly what the real outcome of this package will be. So far, we have mostly tested it on the simulator, testing different tracks, and we can say we've made a good step forward. I've seen some numbers on the internet that are much bigger than what it actually is. We need to stay calm and focused, to make small steps in the right direction little by little. That being said, I hope the data we expected will be confirmed here at Imola. It's definitely not the ideal track to introduce this package, in the sense that we may not immediately see all the improvement it will bring. That's why we'll have to wait for other tracks to fully judge it".
Regarding the recent change of race engineer, the Monegasque driver is keen to clarify:
"The decision was made between the team and Xavi. I was informed after Miami, but I've always had a great relationship with Xavi. Anyway, I'm not starting from scratch and so far everything has gone smoothly and I'm sure it will continue that way and that we will be at 100% already this weekend. With Bryan, we've known each other for years, we already know how to work together. That's all I can say about it".
We are only at the seventh race, but several teams are bringing their first updates. This worries Max Verstappen, who specifies that Red Bull Racing is also working to bring further updates, which can again increase the gap between the Anglo-Austrian team and their rivals.
"There are more and more teams showing up with updates, for example, I saw Ferrari showing up with a big package, so at the moment it's very difficult to know where we will be. Regarding our updates, it's not a response to McLaren. These things have been planned for a long time. It's not that a team comes with updates and we say: Oh, now we respond. These are developments already in the pipeline. We are satisfied, but of course, we need to keep pushing, because the teams behind us are definitely catching up. As we saw in Miami, when we can't perform at 100%, others are ahead, and we need to try to make sure we don't have too many weekends like this. McLaren presented a very important update, so I think we will only find out here how valid this package is because it always takes some time to fine-tune everything. But we knew it, it's about small details that can sometimes make a big difference in lap times. I think the first five races haven't been as easy as it is sometimes made out to be, because it's always the attention to details that makes the difference. Some weekends have been better than others, but I believe that from the beginning of the year the other teams have been closer compared to last year. Overall, I expect this season to be more contested compared to 2023. Imola is a rather complicated track, with many high-speed corners. They have removed some sausage kerbs, so we have to see how the driving style will evolve here. I remember you couldn't go too much on the kerb here, precisely because of the sausage kerbs. Now I think we will be able to exploit the kerbs more, the track will be more alive and it will remind me of the times in F3, which were very fun".
Three days later, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, Williams Racing announced that Alex Albon committed his long-term future to the team. The Thai driver has signed a multi-year contract extension which takes the partnership into the new era of Formula 1 regulations and demonstrates a shared belief in the upward trajectory of the team. Since joining Williams Racing, Alex Albon has showcased exceptional determination and dedication both on and off the track. His performance since he joined ahead of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship has been integral to the team's progress and success, and his efforts significantly contributed to the team's best championship finishing position since 2017 of seventh last year. The extended relationship underscores Williams Racing's commitment to building a competitive team capable of challenging for podiums and championships in Formula 1. Alex Albon says:
"I am incredibly happy to be remaining with Williams Racing and to continue working with such a talented and dedicated team of people. It has been a difficult start to the year but since joining Williams we have made significant progress together and I have seen the huge changes happening behind the scenes to take us back to the front of the grid. This is a long-term project that I really believe in and want to play a key role in which is why I have signed a multi-year contract. The journey will take time but I am confident we are building the right team to move forward and achieve great things in the years to come".
And James Vowles, Team Principal, Williams Racing, adds:
"We are delighted to secure Alex's long-term future with Williams Racing. He has exceptional talent, technical input and dedication to the cause and this is a huge vote of confidence in Williams and the journey back to competitiveness that we are on".
So he concludes:
"Since joining, Alex has consistently demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure, and signing him for the long-term is a big piece of the puzzle of moving us up the grid".
Among the various teams that are bringing upgrades to their cars is Mercedes. Anticipating the news is team principal of the Anglo-German team, Toto Wolff, who on the eve of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix says:
"We are now one quarter of the way through the season. The first six races have not been straightforward, but we have built a clear understanding of where we need to improve and shaped a clear path forward to tackle that. It will be several races before we see this bear fruit, but everyone is working hard to bring them as soon as possible. In the meantime, we will be looking to maximise the package we have. We are bringing some more updates to Imola and hopefully they push us in the right direction. After two Sprints in a row, we now go back to the more usual weekend format. It affords us more time to refine the setup, but Imola is still a demanding circuit that challenges both the car and the driver. It has several fast and flowing sections, but some low-speed corners too and a tricky, bumpy surface. It's narrow, which makes overtaking difficult, and has plenty of elevation. All that combines to provide a stern test and one we're looking forward to. We will of course take the time along with the rest of the paddock to reflect and remember Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna, who we lost 30 years ago. As a team, we will also be marking the 100th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz's victory in the 1924 Targa Florio. The Mercedes-Benz Classic team have done a superb job restoring the original car and we can't wait to see it running for the Trofeo Bandini awards on Wednesday - and then on track during the weekend".
Also added to the list of updated cars is McLaren, and speaking in detail about this news is Lando Norris, who admits:
"Obviously now it's a new weekend, and I have to be prepared and ready to go again, even though I still think a lot about Miami, where I was also lucky. I hope to replicate that success; it was a fantastic weekend, and I'll remember it for the rest of my life. I think we are more suited to the Imola circuit, and partly the upgrade is too. Imola has been one of the tracks that has given us more satisfaction as a team and to me as a driver. Surely, we have taken a big step forward as a group; the team brings the upgrades, but we must not get ahead of ourselves. We love these circuits because they are more challenging for us drivers, but they are also the ones where it's harder to overtake and attack, since there are fewer escape routes. We need to find a compromise: there is such a long pit lane here that takes away the strategic element from the races because everyone has to make a pit stop, but history is part of this sport, and we must maintain tradition within this world. We love these circuits but we want to compete more, and perhaps this is why some of these tracks are left behind: the races are not exciting enough. But we must continue to come here, maybe doing work to achieve that kind of spectacle".
Regarding McLaren's competitiveness in the near future, Norris believes that despite the developments, Red Bull Racing and Ferrari are still ahead:
"We need to have confidence in the team going forward, but it's clear that we won't be there winning and fighting for victory every weekend. We need something more if we want to challenge Red Bull and Ferrari more consistently. The team is doing a great job, and we have made good progress, and we will have further improvements in the future that we will have to exploit to the fullest. Taking into account the developments, for now, we are the third force".
Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal, after the extraordinary result in Miami, with Lando Norris's victory, obviously hopes to relive the same joy in Imola:
"After a wonderful result in Miami, the team has come together in Woking to celebrate the hard work and dedication that has got us to this point. This doesn't mean our mission is over. This result helped to reinvigorate our goal to be consistently achieving wins and podiums and we are doubling down on our efforts. The team has now reset as we turn our attention to the first European race of the year. Imola is one of the fastest circuits on the calendar and should offer some good opportunities for us to continue adding to our Championship points. Following the devastation that hit the region last year, we are delighted to be heading back and can't wait to see the Italian fans once again".
And what can Oscar Piastri add, except that he too hopes that he will soon be able to achieve his first career victory, perhaps starting right in Imola?
"Imola up next! I didn't get the final result I wanted in Miami, but it was one of my strongest weekends so far. It was great to celebrate with the team last week, but we're all hungry for more, which shows just how far we've come. This is my first Grand Prix in Imola. Sadly we were unable to race here last year, but we are so excited to be back in front of the fans and we'll hopefully be able to put on a good show for them. I've been back with the team in engineering and sim sessions and I feel very prepared. Hopefully, we'll bring back some good points for the team".
On Friday, May 17, 2024, before the start of the first free practice session, the second unit of the internal combustion engine, turbocharger, MGU-H, and MGU-K was installed on the cars of Logan Sargeant, Kevin Magnussen, and Nico Hülkenberg. The third unit of the same four components was installed on Charles Leclerc's car. The second unit of the energy recovery system and the electronic control unit was installed on Daniel Ricciardo's and Yuki Tsunoda's cars. The second unit of the electronic control unit was installed on Max Verstappen's and Sergio Perez's cars. The second unit of the exhaust system was installed on Sargeant's car, the third unit on Ocon's, Magnussen's, and Hülkenberg's cars, and the fourth unit of the same component on Leclerc's car. Additionally, the third gearbox and third transmission were installed on Sargeant's car, and the second unit of the same components was installed on Tsunoda's car. However, no driver will incur penalties as the new components installed are within the maximum number allowed by the technical regulations. In the first free practice session, Charles Leclerc was the only driver to go below the 1'17"0 mark. The Monegasque driver set his best time on Soft tyres after testing the Medium tyres during the session. His teammate, Carlos Sainz Jr., was third; the Spanish driver focused on testing the performance of the Hard tyres. Between the two Ferrari cars was George Russell.
Behind the top three were the two Red Bull Racing drivers, who used only Soft tyres: Verstappen, however, had to replace the front bars twice. Alexander Albon caused the red flag to be shown about twenty minutes into the session: his car lost power at the Acque Minerali curve due to a power unit failure. This forced the marshals to interrupt the session to recover the car. Numerous cars suffered from porpoising, especially on the straight leading to the Tamburello chicane. Nevertheless, the performances were very close, with the top eleven drivers separated by less than a second. Leclerc remained dominant at the end of the second session. The Monegasque driver managed to go below the 1'16"0 mark. In this session, Oscar Piastri placed second, while their respective teammates could not complete a qualifying lap. Lando Norris made a driving error at Rivazza, while Carlos Sainz Jr. simply could not complete the lap and did not go beyond fifth place in the standings. Yuki Tsunoda placed third. The Japanese driver was faster than the Mercedes drivers, as the Anglo-German cars struggled to bring the tyres up to temperature.
As a result, both drivers had to perform two very slow warm-up laps, causing complaints from other drivers. The Red Bull Racing drivers, both quite nervous, finished the session in seventh and eighth places: Max Verstappen even made a braking error at the Variante Alta and cut off Lewis Hamilton, while Sergio Perez slowed Charles Leclerc down. Not surprisingly, Max Verstappen's comment at the end of the first two practice sessions is very terse, focusing on the difficulties he faced throughout the day:
"It was a difficult day today. It was tricky to get a good balance and we were not really feeling comfortable within the car. It was moving around a lot and was very easy to lose the car at some points on the track. There are a few things we have to look at after today as our performance wasn’t as good as expected and we were not comfortable. We also struggled on the long runs, so there are definitely a few things to improve on if we are going to be competitive in qualifying. Today we were just off the pace, however this is still the practice session so we will look at what we can do ahead of tomorrow and see how the weekend goes".
So does Sergio Perez, who reminds his fans that Imola is an old-school circuit, so the difficulties are greater:
"Imola is a tricky circuit and an old-school track but it’s important to keep our head down. The conditions were tricky at times today with the wind, and we have some work to do to make sure we are able to take the maximum out of the car moving forward but hopefully we will be in a stronger position tomorrow. Qualifying will be really important so hopefully we will have good luck tomorrow, but I believe we are in the fight and in the mix this weekend".
Remaining inside the Red Bull Racing garage, the team's consultant, Helmut Marko, admits that the competition is becoming increasingly fierce and even predicts the most formidable rival for this weekend:
"So far, we have lost two races, Miami and Melbourne, both street circuits. Now we are back on a permanent track. Let's see if we can overcome the small phase of weakness we have had recently. Ferrari has certainly made a step forward and is the fastest team behind us, having also stabilised its strategy. I see them as our most serious opponent. The competition is closing in, and that is a fact. Mercedes, which is unpredictable, is also bringing an upgrade: we will see if they can untangle their Gordian knot. McLaren, with Norris, was fast throughout the Miami weekend, while we couldn't match their times. This success will certainly boost his self-confidence, and consequently, he will make fewer mistakes, as often happened in the past. And Max was really happy for him; the two are very good friends and often go to races together".
Not surprisingly, Charles Leclerc admits that everything went well on this first day of practice:
"It has been a positive day overall. Everything went smoothly and we ran all the tests we planned on track. We seem to be pretty competitive for now, however the conditions will change quite a bit tomorrow, especially in terms of the wind, so we will have to anticipate that. The updates seem to be working as expected, which is another positive. It was great to see so much red in the grandstands".
And Carlos Sainz Jr. confirms:
"A good Friday for the team. We had a strong FP1 and in FP2 we made some changes that seemed to go in the right direction and I was reasonably happy with the car. I didn't put together a clean lap with the Softs but I’m confident we are in a good place. After two Sprint weekends it was good to have time to test and try different approaches on the car, especially having a new package here. There's still a bit of work to do before qualifying but I’m already looking forward to tomorrow".
Speaking of the updates brought to Imola, the Spanish driver said:
"I have to admit, Ferrari's updates have impressed me. We have had some issues, but we are not worried. We are talking about specific sectors of the track. If we can put everything together, I think we will be at least two-tenths ahead of everyone. We haven't found grip with either the soft or medium tyres. In the long runs we are a second slower".
Caution though. While it is true that Scuderia Ferrari has brought updates that seem to be working, it is also true that McLaren has brought its own updates that seem to be working even better. In fact, Oscar Piastri says:
"Friday done. I think it's been one of our better Fridays and we seem to be in a pretty good place. It's very tight out there so we'll see what we can find for tomorrow, but it's been an encouraging day. I've felt pretty comfy from the first lap this morning, so I'm excited for tomorrow. The team has done a good job with getting the remaining upgrades on my car, so thank you to them".
And Lando Norris confirms:
"It's been a reasonable day, if a little bit disrupted in places. We had a test program with some things to try after our upgrades in Miami, which was important to fit in. But at the same time, we had to deal with a couple of little issues here and there which made completing our plan a little bit more tricky than we were hoping for. However, the car felt good, I think we made some good improvements throughout the day and I was happy with that. Another few tweaks tomorrow and I think we can have a good day".
Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal, instead, tries to be more cautious in commenting on this first day of practice:
"Overall, a productive day without major issues on either car, with the exception of a small electronic glitch on Lando's car which was checked and resolved. Otherwise, we were able to go through our program, which included investigating the package that we introduced in Miami during FP1. Due to the upgrades being introduced at a Sprint event, we didn't have sufficient time to do all the procedures and driving that is required to monitor the aerodynamic upgrades from the last event. The good news is that all seemed to go according to expectation and the drivers could work through the setup and understand the tyres better. While we have some opportunities to improve, and some other cars look pretty quick, both Lando and Oscar seem happy that we are in a decent position for the remainder of the weekend".
Despite a really tough start to the season, Lewis Hamilton looks happy at the end of the first day of practice. The Mercedes driver says he is pleased with the work so far, and surprised to see himself closer to the rivals ahead of him:
"It's been a good start to the weekend. We had a productive day and were able to run all three compounds. The balance of the car felt good, and I had a positive feeling out there. Several other teams look quick, in particular McLaren and Ferrari, but we're a lot closer than we have been so far this season. We're not getting ahead of ourselves though so let's see how tomorrow goes. I am really grateful to everyone back at the factory for working so hard to bring these updates. We are seeing improvements in the car and our performance on track".
A feeling also shared by George Russell, who does not hide - like his teammate - his satisfaction:
"The car was feeling great today and both Lewis and I were happy behind the wheel. We looked reasonably competitive and slightly closer to the front of the field than we looked in Miami. Come Qualifying tomorrow we will find out exactly where we stand in the pecking order. McLaren looked very strong along with Ferrari but hopefully we can find a bit more speed and get closer to them. As always, it will be fine margins. The team has done a great job to bring the updates to the car so quickly. It definitely feels like a step forward at this point. It's great to see the motivation within the team despite having a few tough races recently".
As always, it falls to Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director, to analyse the technical area of the work done and the Anglo-German car:
"We've had a productive day today. The car has been working well across the two sessions and we have been able to improve on the balance over the course of the day. The updates we have here all seem to be doing what we expect, which is encouraging, but the experience of the last few races has taught us that we have a fair size gap to close. We are hoping to close that gap progressively with developments over the next few events. There's still plenty that we can work on for both single lap and long run performance in the meantime. The gaps ahead aren't that big so we'll be looking hard to find a bit of additional speed overnight".
While Simone Berra, Pirelli Chief Engineer, analyses the behaviour of the tyres on the Imola circuit:
"With five minutes of track time lost through the only red flag of the day, that left 115 action packed minutes at Imola on one of the truly classic tracks on the calendar. We brought our three softest compounds here, based on an assessment of what we saw in the race in 2022, when the C2 was hardly used, because we believe this choice could give the teams a wider range of strategy options, even if this race usually entails just a single pit stop. Predictably, especially after yesterday's heavy rain, in the first session, the track was still quite green and the grip level from the asphalt rapidly increased as the cars did more and more laps. This rapid track evolution continued in the second session, although less so. The wind caused some disturbance, especially in FP1 with temperatures remaining reasonably stable around 27/28 °C for the ambient, while the track went from an average of 50 °C in the first session to 39 °C in the second, conditions which we could see in Sunday's race. The Medium and Hard tyres proved very competitive in terms of performance over a long run, while the Soft, especially in very high temperatures, could turn out to be quite tricky to manage over a large number of laps. The performance difference over a lap between each of the compounds is around half a second. From what we could see, some teams have not yet found the best way to get the most out of the C5 on a flying lap, while the C4 suffered with a very small amount of graining on the right side, especially the front tyre".
On Saturday, May 18, 2024, shortly before the start of the third free practice session, the third gearbox and third transmission were installed on Charles Leclerc's car. Nonetheless, the Monegasque driver of Scuderia Ferrari will not receive any penalty, as the new components installed are within the maximum number allowed by the technical regulations. The fourth unit of the exhaust system was installed on Esteban Ocon's car, and the French Alpine driver will also not face any penalties. During FP3, the two McLaren drivers monopolised the top two positions on the timesheet. However, the display of the red flag, after Perez went off the track at Variante Gresini, prevented many drivers from completing a fast lap. The two Scuderia Ferrari drivers positioned themselves behind the British cars: Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc set their best times before the McLaren duo could attempt a qualifying lap. Fernando Alonso also went off the track at Rivazza. The Spanish driver of Aston Martin lost control of the car, understeered, and hit the barriers with both the right rear tyre and the rear wing. Although uninjured, the driver was taken to the circuit's medical center. There was also a near-miss incident between Kevin Magnussen, who was on a fast lap, and the two Alpine cars, which were moving more slowly.
A few hours later, just minutes before the start of qualifying, the third gearbox and third transmission were installed on Fernando Alonso's car. However, the Spanish Aston Martin driver will not receive a penalty, as the new components installed are within the maximum number allowed by the technical regulations. When the stewards gave the green light to the drivers and Q1 began, George Russell went out on Medium tyres but decided not to complete his first attempt. Esteban Ocon, on the other hand, set the provisional fastest time; the French driver was only beaten by Charles Leclerc, who clocked in at 1'16"463 using Medium tyres. Subsequently, Alexander Albon set the best time in the first sector, but an error later in the lap prevented him from achieving a great result. Lando Norris set the best time in the second sector and managed to post a better time than Charles Leclerc. However, moments later, Max Verstappen improved on Norris's times in the first and second sectors, eventually topping the timesheets with a lap of 1'16"013. Fernando Alonso managed to take part in qualifying after his morning incident and was provisionally sixth. Perez, who also went off the track during the third practice session, was in third place. Shortly after, Piastri set a better time than Verstappen by just 0.073s. Yuki Tsunoda moved up to fifth place, while Carlos Sainz Jr. set the third fastest time. The Spanish driver, like Charles Leclerc, set his time on Medium tyres. Shortly after, Pierre Gasly moved up to fourth place, while Charles Leclerc dropped to fifth. Once again, it was a McLaren, this time driven by Norris, that topped the timing charts with a 1'15"915 lap, while Alonso went off track at the Tamburello corner. Surprisingly, Nico Hülkenberg clocked a 1'15"841, setting the fastest time. After his off-track excursion, Alonso did not complete any more laps and remained last. Verstappen improved, moving up to first place with a time of 1'15"762. Ricciardo moved up to seventh place, while Tsunoda set the third fastest time. Leclerc, still on Medium tyres, moved up to second place. Logan Sargeant's time was canceled for exceeding track limits: the American Williams driver finished the session without any valid times. Besides Sargeant, the two Stake F1 Team drivers Bottas and Zhou, Magnussen, and Alonso did not advance to Q2. When Q2 began, the Mercedes drivers were the first to hit the track. Russell set a time of 1'16"200, but Hamilton clocked a 1'16"197, taking first place. Subsequently, Max Verstappen set the best time, while Sergio Perez remained 0.4s behind.
Nico Hülkenberg also managed to lap faster than Lewis Hamilton, while Lance Stroll moved up to sixth place. Carlos Sainz Jr., on his first attempt, was second; later, the second position was occupied by Oscar Piastri, who remained 0.021s behind Max Verstappen. Then, Charles Leclerc, with a lap of 1'15"328, did better than the World Champion. Daniel Ricciardo set the sixth-fastest time, while Lando Norris was fourth. Surprisingly, Yuki Tsunoda climbed to second place, just 0.030s behind Charles Leclerc. In the final part of the session, only Tsunoda decided not to go out on track again. George Russell recovered and moved up to sixth place, while Lewis Hamilton was seventh. Both are preceded by Nico Hülkenberg. Daniel Ricciardo improved, moving up to ninth place, as did Carlos Sainz Jr., who moved up to sixth place. Shortly after, Lando Norris set the third-fastest time, while Sergio Perez did not make it into the top ten drivers who advanced to the decisive phase. Besides the Mexican driver from Red Bull Racing, Ocon, Stroll, Albon, and Gasly also did not make it. On the first attempt in Q3, Verstappen set the best time in the first sector, but it was Norris who set the best time in the second part of the track. The World Champion completed his first attempt with a 1'14"869 lap, while Norris finished less than 0.1s behind. Meanwhile, Hülkenberg set the third-best time, but moments later, he was surpassed by Tsunoda. Then, Piastri moved up to third place, about 0.3s behind, but shortly after, the Australian driver was surpassed by Leclerc. Meanwhile, Russell moved up to sixth place, ahead of Tsunoda. On the second attempt, neither Sainz nor Leclerc managed to do better than Verstappen, who also benefited from the slipstream of another car in the initial part of the lap. Leclerc set the best time in the second sector but remained 0.2s behind Verstappen. At the end of the lap, Sainz Jr. was 0.3s behind, while Leclerc closed the gap to Verstappen but was 0.1s behind the Dutch driver from Red Bull Racing. Verstappen improved again and completed his final attempt with a time of 1'14"746. The two McLaren drivers improved their times, but neither managed to beat the World Champion. Max Verstappen secured his 39th career pole position, the seventh consecutive pole this season. At the end of qualifying, Oscar Piastri and Kevin Magnussen were summoned by the stewards because the Australian driver impeded the Danish driver at turns 2 and 3 during Q1. Piastri is hit with a three-position grid penalty.
Due to the penalty given to the Australian McLaren driver, Lando Norris will start in second place. McLaren's British driver can only be happy, and by starting from the second position he can really expect to fight on an equal footing with Max Verstappen, and hope for a win at Imola:
"As a team we've had a very good day - and a good weekend so far. P2 is not a bad job at all and both of us are within a tenth of pole - tiny, tiny margins. Oscar's done a great job, and so did Max. It's going to be a good race tomorrow. It'll be exciting in the car and hopefully exciting to watch. A lot of it will be down to Turn 1, Lap 1, getting the right strategy, and having good pit stops. We're close, it's very exciting and I can't wait for tomorrow".
Despite the penalty, Oscar Piastri is also satisfied. His car had guaranteed him a place in P2, and this is enough to still be confident ahead of the race:
"I'm really happy with the performance today. We were so close to pole on track. I've been really comfortable with the car from the moment we put it on track yesterday and I am enjoying my first GP weekend here. We've definitely been on the pace all weekend and the confidence is high. It is a shame to lose the front row and having to start from P5 as it's not the easiest track to overtake on. However, we will try our best to recover some positions and fight to finish on the podium".
Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal, finally stresses the importance of such a result after winning in Miami:
"After a strong performance in Miami, it was important to confirm that competitiveness was genuine. Imola has very different demands, with a fast-flowing layout and a bumpy surface. It's a big positive that we have also been competitive here, and able to fight for pole position today. We had a very strong result in Qualifying. Both drivers performed very well, and we were close to Red Bull, which is encouraging. Unfortunately, Oscar will start P5 after receiving a penalty. We respect and accept the decision of the stewards and, with a strong pace in the car, we look forward to recovering those lost positions with Oscar, while capitalising on Lando's front row start".
In the Red Bull Racing pits there is an awareness that Max Verstappen has performed a genuine miracle, placing ahead of the McLarens, which lately seem to be the fastest cars on the track:
"It was a really rewarding pole today and everything ended up coming together for qualifying. This weekend has been tough and we have been lacking pace and balance within the car, however we kept on working at it and trying to improve. When we went into qualifying, the balance of the car felt a lot better, so it was a great turnaround. Honestly it is just a fantastic track and I wish we had more of those on the calendar. It felt unbelievable to drive a qualifying lap here; there are a few old school tracks that we have remaining on the calendar which are really exciting and what I fell in love with when I started watching and racing in Formula One. McLaren is looking strong but with the changes that we made on the car, it should be better for the race tomorrow. I feel a little less prepared than I would like to be going into the race and we don’t expect it to be easy, but we are going to give it a good go. It is special and a proud moment to receive eight poles in a row, especially as we have been having a tough weekend. It was a whole team effort but we managed to bring it together today. Very happy".
The same cannot be said for Sergio Perez. The Mexican driver, at the end of qualifying, explains what prevented him from entering Q3:
"It hasn’t been a very smooth weekend overall, and we’ve been playing quite a bit with the car and we just weren’t able to maximise in qualifying. In Q1 my lap wasn’t good enough and we went out on a new set, which means we started Q2 on a scrubbed set. On my final lap in Q2 I lacked rear grip in Turn 7 and locked up which cost me two and half tenths which would have easily put me into Q3, so I think we had the pace to be a lot higher up. We’ve made some good progress with the car as Max showed, but unfortunately from my side I didn’t get the chance to show that in Q3. We will see what we will be able to do come race day as Imola is one of the hardest tracks to overtake on, but I hope that we can be strong tomorrow and the main target will be to minimise the issues we had today and to have a good, solid race".
Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing CEO and Team Principal, would like to emphasise the great work done in Milton Keynes by the team's two test drivers, who enabled Max Verstappen today to solve most of the technical problems encountered during the first day of free practice:
"It was an outstanding Saturday here in Imola, especially after we struggled yesterday. The team did a really good job overnight, with Seb Buemi, Jake Dennis and everyone in Milton Keynes working into the early hours on the simulator, and we kept improving the car as we saw the results of in Q3. Max had to deliver and he really pulled it out of the bag with a great performance, and you can tell how much it meant to him to be on pole today. That’s 8 poles in a row, equalling the great Ayrton Senna and doing it here in Imola making it all the more poignant. Checo wasn’t as fortunate and he lost a bit of time in the first and second chicanes which then put some pressure on the rest of his lap, he recovered some time but unfortunately it wasn’t quite enough and he narrowly missed Q3. All to play for tomorrow as we head into race day in Imola".
While Helmut Marko enthusiastically celebrates Verstappen's feat:
"I didn't expect it, I told him we needed a magical lap, and he delivered. Lambiase told him he bet against him, but actually, it was me who didn't believe in the pole and hadn't bet on Max. If he manages to keep the lead at the start, there are great chances of winning. The McLarens and Ferraris were very fast in race pace, but we have sorted ourselves out compared to Friday".
The same certainly cannot be said of Fernando Alonso, who had an accident in FP3, and subsequently a series of circumstances that did not allow him to express the full potential of his car:
"It was one of those days where everything went a bit wrong for us. It started with the heavy crash in FP3 and the mechanics did a great job in getting the car ready for Q1. We headed out for Qualifying a few minutes into the session and fueled to do all of Q1. The best lap I managed was when the car was heavier with fuel and then we had to box for an issue at the end of the session just before my final attempt. The car felt quite good in Qualifying and I think there was some more pace in hand, so it was a shame we couldn't improve my lap-time. It's very difficult to overtake here and so it's going to be a tough race, but we should be able to learn lots tomorrow".
It was not a happy day for Scuderia Ferrari. The premises were quite different. The P5 obtained by Carlos Sainz Jr. certainly cannot raise hopes for a major result, especially at Imola, where with these cars it is virtually impossible to overtake:
"We knew that coming here it would be very tight. I struggled to be consistent with the Soft and didn’t do my best Quali to be honest, but we are still in a decent position to fight tomorrow and although overtaking in Imola is not easy, it can also be a race full of opportunities and we need to be fully focused. We’ll fight right to the chequered flag to put on a great show for our Tifosi and hopefully thank them for their support with a good team result".
So he adds:
"I don't think the team had high hopes; in fact, I believe the media exaggerated in raising expectations for the upgrade package. We knew it would look like a new car, but we knew the numbers. And the numbers weren't that big. It was about small details here and there that I believe helped us, but this has always been a McLaren and Red Bull track".
Evidently, Charles Leclerc thought differently than his teammate. Since the Monegasque driver sincerely speaks of an unfulfilled goal in qualifying:
"We didn’t achieve our target today and we have to look into where we can improve for the upcoming races, given that in the past few we have had the most margin for improvement in the first sector during qualifying. Our competitors seem to have been holding back on their full potential until today and their step was bigger than ours from yesterday to today. Our upgrade package is working as expected and it will take a few sessions to find the optimal window where we can extract the most performance. Our strength this year has been our race pace and we will give everything in the race tomorrow to make our Tifosi proud".
Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal Scuderia Ferrari HP, instead, says he was amazed at the behaviour of the cars produced in Maranello. After almost always leading the timesheets, qualifying did not see the expected evolution in the Scuderia Ferrari box:
"We knew it would be a tough and tight session, where one tenth could have made the difference for many places and it was the case. Unfortunately today we were at the back of that one-tenth group. Overall it was quite a strange qualifying: we were competitive in the practice sessions and also this afternoon until Q3, where we did not progress as expected. We cannot be happy with the final outcome as overtaking here is quite difficult and I would have preferred to have been further up the grid, but we also have to consider that the gap between us and McLaren is very tight. The most important day is tomorrow when we will be looking to score as many points as possible. Last year we were used to having good Saturdays and then struggling a bit on the Sunday and this season so far it has generally been the opposite. Looking at the race pace it seems that we are quite ok with it and I hope we can give our Tifosi an interesting race. They have supported us through it all and they deserve a good result".
Instead, the qualifying result of Mercedes, and its two drivers, is in line with expectations. George Russell, in fact, admits that more than this, at this time, the team cannot do, and that the position obtained in qualifying reflects what is currently the level of performance of the Anglo-German cars:
"I was very happy with my final effort in Q3. It was a really strong lap and overall, it was a good session from my point of view. It is obviously annoying when you are one millisecond behind one of your competitors, but I think that was the maximum we had today. I think P6 is therefore a fair result. It is very difficult to pass here so unfortunately, I'm not forecasting lots of overtakes tomorrow. I hope to be proven wrong though and we can gain some positions. The car is feeling much better than it has done in recent races. Of course it is all about lap times, so we just need to keep working and improving. We've seen how others have progressed and that gives us encouragement".
Unlike his teammate, Lewis Hamilton did not seem happy with the qualifying result, particularly because his car did not provide the right feeling for him to do anything better:
"The car felt really good on Friday but today, I was struggling to find that same level of grip. It was frustrating and I think the small changes we made going into Qualifying had quite a big impact. George did a great job though and for him to be only four tenths off pole is clearly a good step forward for us. Unfortunately I was just lacking some pace so couldn't quite match that. Tomorrow we are likely looking at trying to make up a few positions. We will do some work tonight to see if we can improve anything but it's very hard to overtake here so, unless something out of the ordinary happens, we will only be able to make small gains".
Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal & CEO, is strangely confident. Although the result is not outstanding, the gap of the Anglo-German cars from the top seems to have narrowed, and the Austrian manager emphasises precisely this important detail:
"When you look at the gap to the front, and our closest competitors around us, you can see progress. P6 and P8 are not the positions we want to be. We've been saying that for a while, but we can see the advantage others have. It takes time to do that, so we must be patient and that's the reality at the moment. We know we have developments in the pipeline that will improve the balance of the car. Even though our positions today are not good enough, we are pointing in the right direction. Tomorrow, we will be focused on maximising the package we currently have and aiming to score some decent points".
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director, goes into more technical detail, and says:
"We've worked hard to try and close the gap to the front over the last few races. Encouragingly, there are signs we're making progress, but we know we've still got a long way to go. Neither driver had two new sets of the Soft tyre left by Q3. This may have cost each a place on tomorrow's grid when you look at how close the gaps are to the cars ahead. Ultimately though, P6 and P8 are about where our current pace is. It is encouraging that the car's balance around the lap has been improved this weekend. We will now have to wait and see where the pace falls out in the race tomorrow. There did look to be some tyre degradation on Friday, so that should help create some opportunity. It is difficult to overtake here at Imola though so it will likely take some good fortune for us to be challenging for the podium spots".
Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director, analysing the result of free practice and qualifying, draws a balance and a forecast of the strategies that could be considered by the teams during the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix:
"Qualifying was very closely contested with the teams evenly matched and, once again Max Verstappen came out on top. Given the very small performance gaps between Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari we can expect an equally close race tomorrow. As for strategy, a one-stop is almost obligatory, because the time taken in pit lane to change tyres is one of the longest of the season at around 28 seconds, and also because overtaking is very difficult, especially as there is only one DRS zone. A further unknown factor is the possibility of the race being neutralised: as we saw today in the F2 and F3 races, the increase in the number of gravel traps inevitably means there is a greater chance of cars getting stuck after going off the track. We brought our softest trio of compounds here and the C5 confirmed it performs well over a single flying lap, without needing any particular looking after in terms of preparation. The C3 and C4 appear to be competitive over a long run and, fairly predictably, they will be the most popular choices for the race, with C5 eventually being an option for the closing stages, especially if there is a Safety Car. Those banking on that to happen could decide to start on the Hard to extend the first stint as much as possible, before switching to the Medium or maybe even the Soft".
On Sunday, May 19, 2024, before the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso's car underwent suspension setup modifications under parc fermé conditions without the approval of the FIA technical delegate.
As a result, the Spanish Aston Martin driver, who had qualified in P19, was forced to start from the pit lane. At 1:40 p.m., about an hour and twenty minutes before the race began, Sebastian Vettel, holding an Austrian flag and a Brazilian flag, paid tribute to Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger, who lost their lives on this circuit in 1994. The German driver moved all the spectators present in the Santerno circuit grandstands by completing four laps in the McLaren MP4/8, driven by Senna in 1993, wearing a commemorative helmet and suit. After kneeling in front of the flags, an emotional Vettel said:
"It was an incredible moment. It was obviously a very difficult time 30 years ago, with a horrible weekend. Remembering Ayrton and Roland was moving; it is so nice to see so many people who felt joy and enthusiasm. When I brought out the flags, there was a roar. It was special, I shouted their names under the helmet. That May 1st, Ayrton had the Austrian flag in the car, and I think if we look up to the sky, we can see them both. The car is so beautiful to drive; I wish I could go back in time and race against those guys. I think the crowd enjoyed the noise; it was magnificent to bring these memories back to the track. Ayrton and Roland, but certainly Ayrton in particular, were two of the real heroes of this sport".
When the cars took to the track to position themselves on the starting grid, almost all the drivers chose to use Medium tyres: the only exceptions were Fernando Alonso and Pierre Gasly, who started on Soft tyres, and Sergio Perez, Guanyu Zhou, and Logan Sargeant, who used Hard tyres. At the start of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Max Verstappen got off to a good start, leading Lando Norris, the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers, then Oscar Piastri and the two Mercedes drivers. In the early laps, the Dutch driver did not seem able to increase his lead over Lando Norris. After seven laps, the Red Bull Racing driver only had a 1.8-second advantage over the British driver. Charles Leclerc followed, 1.5 seconds behind, with Carlos Sainz Jr. just over a second behind him, closely followed by Oscar Piastri. By lap 9, some drivers started pitting to switch to Hard tyres to finish the race. Fernando Alonso, who pitted on lap 14, exited with the front left brake disc on fire, but the car's speed allowed enough airflow to extinguish the fire. After 17 laps, Max Verstappen was leading with a 5.2-second gap over Lando Norris, 6.8 seconds over Charles Leclerc, 9.8 seconds over Carlos Sainz Jr., and 10.8 seconds over Oscar Piastri. On lap 23, Lando Norris pitted for Hard tyres and rejoined the track behind Sergio Perez but quickly overtook the Mexican driver. Between laps 24 and 26, Oscar Piastri, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc all pitted. Meanwhile, Verstappen received a warning via the black-and-white flag for exceeding track limits three times, with a further infraction leading to a five-second penalty.
On lap 27, both Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri overtook Sergio Pérez, who was struggling with tyre management and had earlier gone off into the gravel at Rivazza. On lap 28, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Lewis Hamilton pitted, with Sainz rejoining behind Oscar Piastri. After 34 laps, Verstappen held a 6.4-second lead over Norris, with Leclerc 9.4 seconds behind and Piastri over 10 seconds back. Perez lost more positions, being overtaken by both Mercedes drivers, and pitted on lap 38. Four laps later, Alonso made his second stop for Medium tyres. In the following laps, Leclerc appeared to close in on Norris, and after 43 laps, they were separated by just 0.7 seconds. However, an error at Variante Gresini limited Leclerc's attacking chances. Norris maintained a faster pace than Verstappen in the final laps, closing in on the Dutch driver. On lap 52, George Russell made his second stop, relinquishing sixth place to Lewis Hamilton. Despite closing the gap to under a second at the start of the final lap, allowing for DRS use, Norris could not challenge Verstappen further. Max Verstappen wins the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, his 59th career victory and fifth of the season, the first since the Chinese Grand Prix. He is followed by Lando Norris, 0.7 seconds behind, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz Jr., Lewis Hamilton, George Russell, Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll, and Yuki Tsunoda. Despite the final scare, of being caught by Lando Norris, Max Verstappen once again managed to win and get ahead of his rivals. And this, despite the fact that in the final laps the ERS charge was completely exhausted:
"It was a close race today".
And he adds:
"I didn’t expect that the car would have that kind of pace at the beginning, which was nice and we were strong on the medium tyres. When we swapped to the hard tyres, it was a bit trickier to drive and more of a struggle to bring it to the end as tyres fell out of the operating window and we had really low grip. During the last ten laps I was really trying to survive on the tyres and managed to keep Lando behind, but it required a lot of focus as we were on the limit with the penalty. However, we managed to work through and take the win; I was definitely counting down the laps until the end and it was a great feeling when we took the chequered flag! If you look at where we were at the beginning of the weekend, this was an extremely good result. There is a bit of work to do and things to analyse but we are looking forward to Monaco".
Sergio Perez, who started in P11 and managed to finish the race in P8, certainly cannot be as happy:
"We knew it was going to be a hard day today as the whole weekend was compromised from qualifying. Imola is a difficult track to overtake on so this was the maximum we could do today, especially we were struggling with traffic in the beginning on my first stint and on the hard tyres we had no margin to play around with the balance. We knew that McLaren were the fastest but Max had one of the best weekends I’ve seen from him in a while, so a lot of praise for that and this was a great result for us. We have a few things we need to analyse and certainly some work to do as we head into the next race, but I’m looking forward to Monaco and hopefully we will continue our strong season and get some good momentum back".
Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing CEO and Team Principal, analyses in detail what happened in the race, as at the beginning Max Verstappen's car showed a perhaps unhoped-for competitiveness, while in the end the Dutch driver had to be careful not to make mistakes, in order to take the victory:
"It was a race of two halves for us today. The first half was really strong and we built a good buffer, but the second half Lando started to catch us very quickly. Max couldn’t afford to be a millimetre off with track limits and had to manage the pressure of Lando behind, so a great job by Max. It’s very satisfying to win a race like that when you have been pushed so hard. After qualifying, we ran the reverse strategy for Checo and the result was probably the best we could’ve gotten in a straight race like we had with no safety cars. McLaren and Ferrari were very quick and it’s going to be a really tight fight with both teams, especially as the cars are converging which is what naturally happens when you have stable rules. Overall, it was a weekend to remember in Imola and the whole team is looking forward to going again next weekend in Monte-Carlo".
It is undoubtedly another day to remember for Lando Norris, who finished a close second behind Max Verstappen. If his McLaren had been competitive from the start, the British driver probably could have won again:
"Another great weekend for the team. I fought hard right until the very last lap but we just lost out a little bit too much to Max in the beginning. One or two more laps and it would have been beautiful - but just wasn't meant to be today. We've been competitive all weekend and I think we're at the point where we're able to fight Ferrari and Red Bull consistently. We must get used to that - the team is doing a very good job so it's great that fighting at the front is now business-as-usual. We just need to keep focused on improving. It's still a surprise to say it's frustrating to not win, but after last weekend and the improvements we made, it's what we should start to expect".
Oscar Piastri tried to complete the podium for McLaren, but failed. The penalty at the end of qualifying mortified his ambitions:
"What was I missing to be able to keep up with Lando and Charles? Starting behind. That was the problem. The pace was very good. We were strong, we undercut Carlos, and we tried to catch Leclerc as well. Then I started having tyre issues, and it seems like Charles had a similar situation: he was trying to catch Lando and then had a drop-off. Overall, I am satisfied with my race. I knew after qualifying and the penalty that it would be tough. In the last two weekends, we have been very strong. From my perspective, I am happy; we have good momentum on our side. We are fast on different tracks and in different conditions. Updates? You don't feel a big difference, the car is simply faster. The car is easier to drive. Especially in slow corners, we are much stronger than we've ever been. Together with Ferrari, we are putting pressure on Red Bull".
Andrea Stella, McLaren Team Principal, despite coming close to yet another victory, is still happy with the team's performance:
"A positive day at Imola and the first time in 2024 McLaren have emerged as the highest-scoring team. P4 for Oscar came from good strategy and good pace, allowing him to gain a place on a day when it was not easy to. P2 for Lando was a very strong result. It was a surprise to be in contention for the victory at the end of the race. It came about as a consequence of how sensitive the tyres were today. In the first stint, Max did a better job of managing the Medium and after the stops, Lando did a very good job of managing the Hard, resisting the temptation to overdo it when Leclerc was catching up. It paid off at the end with a strong pace and being in the hunt for the victory. Everyone at McLaren has worked very hard to make these results possible, and they have my thanks for the upgrades that have arrived over the last few weeks, but also for the commitment, the hard work, and the quality of that work. We need to keep improving the car. If we can do that, we're going to be in a good position for the future".
Zak Brown, Chief Executive Officer of McLaren Racing, is extremely happy with his team's result, and admits that with a couple more laps Lando Norris could have passed Max Verstappen and won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix:
"I think Lando would have won with two more laps. Max was pushing hard and was really on the limit with the track limits, using a lot of the battery, and he’s a champion, but I would have liked to have those two extra laps. There would have been a good chance for us, but it was still a great result".
And he adds:
"Oscar was fantastic all weekend, just like in Miami. It was us who created a problem for him in qualifying with that penalty, but these things happen. It was the team's fault; we should have helped him more to avoid ending up in another driver’s slipstream, but these things happen in a team. If he had started ahead, I believe we would have had two cars on the podium. You have to work day by day in F1 to ensure things evolve quickly, but clearly, we have a car and two drivers capable of winning races. The goal of winning now seems more achievable, so we will give it our all every weekend with the hopes and expectations of regularly getting on the podium. Our drivers are the best pair out there; I wouldn't want any other two drivers. Oscar is still at the beginning of his career and is working on race management and tyre management, while Lando has five seasons of experience over him in this aspect. Both are extremely fast, and the duo is truly perfect".
Not as happy was Fernando Alonso’s race, who ended his race one lap behind Max Verstappen:
"It was a difficult day and weekend in general for us. We started from the pit lane and changed a few things on the setup of the car. It meant that we could gather a lot of data which we need to analyse over the next couple of days. We opted for the Soft tyres at the start of the race and we were hoping for a Safety Car to change things up".
A different result was expected from Scuderia Ferrari on the eve of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. However, Charles Leclerc, who finished the Grand Prix in third place, does not despair, and in fact sees the positive side of the experience gained in Imola:
"Today’s race went well and we got even closer to our rivals. If we had qualified higher up, we could have presented our fans with an even better result. After changing on to the Hard tyres I had great pace and managed to make up ground on Lando and Max, but in the end the McLaren was quicker than us, although not by much. Overall, there are plenty of positives to take away from this race: the upgrades worked as expected and we are more competitive. We must continue to work to close the gap, which although small, still separates us from the race winner. Obviously, we dedicate this result and our performance to the Tifosi who are the best fans in the world and they always support us come what may. I’m sure we’ll soon be able to pay them back with a win".
And he adds:
"I think my pace was the most consistent of all, because I was lapping in the low 1'20"0 range almost the entire race. The others had a more unusual race; McLaren managed a bit more with Norris, but Piastri behind me was pushing. In the end, I couldn't push the tyres anymore, but we had to try something. I have no regrets because we did everything we could do; we had to try something different, and I pushed in the first part of the race, but in the end, we lacked the pace of McLaren, which was very strong. I am more confident than yesterday, though not happy with today's result. Yesterday, I didn't understand the gap accumulated in the first sector, but after reviewing the data, there was something that Red Bull and McLaren did differently in terms of engine strategy, and we lost everything on the start-finish straight, while in all the other corners, we were faster or at least on par with them. On a track like this, every time you get within about a second of the car in front, if you don't have a significantly better pace, you don't have enough to overtake; we saw this when Norris was faster than Verstappen, but when he caught up to him, he couldn't pass. We expected a similar race. We need to sort out qualifying, but I think what happened yesterday is clear, and maybe Imola is not the optimal track to judge the updates we brought".
Not as happy is Carlos Sainz Jr., who at the end of the race admits:
"I cannot be happy after what was a tough race for me. I need to review it with the team to understand why I’ve not been comfortable with the car both in qualifying and today pace-wise. We will regroup tomorrow to start preparing for Monaco and hopefully we can get a better result there. The fight at the top is starting to get tight and we need to continue pushing".
Frédéric Vasseur, Scuderia Ferrari HP Team Principal, regrets the final result, but admits that this is due to the outcome of qualifying, which mortified the Maranello team's ambitions:
"First of all I would like to thank all the Tifosi as it was very special to see them under the podium after the race. They brought us a lot of energy this week. Overall, it was a good weekend beyond the performance on track. Today we brought home the best result we could, as it is very difficult to overtake here. When we were pushing we were able to close the gap, but we had to be careful about overheating the tyres and we did not have enough pace difference to overtake".
So he adds:
"Unfortunately, the outcome of the Grand Prix was very much connected to yesterday’s qualifying and we need to do a better job in the next races as we can now see that our competitiveness in the race itself has really improved. I think today’s race was also a very good advert for Formula 1 as we saw three teams in seven seconds after more than 60 laps, which means the gaps are less than one tenth per lap. We are definitely on pace now and we can fight for the top spot, even if we still need to make a small step forward. When nothing happened ahead of us, we looked to try a few different compounds and essentially used it as a bit of a test session. We will need to regroup and put ourselves in the best position for Monaco".
Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, managed to make up positions after a qualifying session that certainly did not live up to expectations and finished the race in sixth place:
"My race was generally good. I had one moment which cost me about five seconds, but my race pace was generally strong so I'm happy with how it went. I made a good start and that was important to get past Tsunoda. From there, I was able to extend my opening stint and that helped me make the one-stop strategy work. We've taken a small step forward this weekend and we have improved. Unfortunately, that is slightly masked by the step forward others such as McLaren and Ferrari have taken. We will keep pushing to bring more updates that can add performance. Until then, we will make sure we are scoring as many points as we can".
George Russell, who instead started sixth after qualifying in line with expectations, finished the race behind his teammate. This happened because the team was not sure whether the tyres used by the British driver could go to the end of the race, and therefore preferred to call him back to the pits to replace them:
"We had some concerns over the Hard tyre being able to go to the end so we made a second pit stop. Of course that means I lost a position to Lewis, but we were able to score one extra point as a team. It was quite a lonely race for us. We've slightly closed the gap to Red Bull and extended our advantage over the midfield. However, McLaren and Ferrari have also found similar gains so we are aiming to bring more performance and bigger steps as soon as we can. We're never going to be satisfied with P6 and P7, but this is where we are at the moment. Everyone is super motivated and it's very inspiring to see. Everyone at Brackley and Brixworth are working so hard to bring improvements and it's great to see. We've got to keep on pushing. This weekend we maximised the package we had, and we will continue to aim to do that moving forward".
Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal & CEO, is satisfied with the final result. Compared to what he has done in recent races, the Austrian manager says he is happy to have seen an improvement in the behaviour of the Anglo-German cars:
"It's not possible to see it in terms of the result, but we have taken a small step forward this weekend. Our closest competitors have also done so recently, but we have closed the gap to the front a little. We still have a lot of work to do and of course, we are all frustrated finishing P6 and P7. There is more to come though, and it is all about making incremental gains. These are what we need to keep delivering if we are to get ourselves in the fight with the three teams ahead of us. With George's second stop, our wear forecasts showed that he may struggle to make it last to the end of the race on the Hard tyre. We had the opportunity to pit and get out ahead of Perez, and therefore opted to stop him. That also enabled us to go for the fastest lap point. It cost George a place to Lewis but ultimately the team was able to score an additional point".
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director, concludes:
"It's clear we have made progress this weekend, but our nearest competitors are also pushing hard. The race today confirmed that we need to continue to make these gains to be in the fight with the top-three teams. We are continuing to work on that, with the factory flat out on development. We will look to continue to bring updates to subsequent races. Today, the Grand Prix didn't throw us any opportunities. There were no Virtual Safety Cars or Safety Cars, so as much as P6 and P7 are frustrating, it is what our pace deserved. We're not lacking any determination or effort to improve, and over the last few weeks it has been encouraging to see the efforts that every team member has put into the drive to get back to the front".
Finally, Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director, analyzing the course of the race and the behavior of the tires, he is happy with the performance despite the high temperatures of the circuit:
"A very close race, for the most part without any particularly exciting moments, but it livened up towards the end as Norris closed on Verstappen. On an old style track like Imola, overtaking has always been difficult and this year was no exception. A strategy based on a single stop was, as predicted, the quickest and was adopted by the majority, with the first stint run on the Medium and the second with the Hard. Both compounds worked quite well despite the fact that, especially at the front of the field, the drivers pushed practically all race long, with track temperatures oscillating between 43 °C and 50 °C, even if there were a few clouds overhead. The predicted pit stop window proved to be accurate: in fact, those who stopped very early then found themselves struggling towards the end. Actually, degradation was not very high because there were few signs of graining. Finally, I must congratulate the wonderful crowd at Imola who were as passionate as ever, once again putting on a great show in the grandstands which I'm sure the drivers and teams enjoyed".
This edition was attended by more than 200.000 spectators over the course of the race weekend, a new record for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix at the Imola circuit, more than the 129.656 spectators of the last edition run in 2022, and the 160.000 expected for the 2023 edition before its cancellation. It is also the highest figure ever recorded for a Grand Prix run at the Autodromo Enzo and Dino Ferrari. This is undoubtedly a good sign for Imola and for Italian motorsport. Unfortunately, Italian fans cannot be happy with the outcome of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which ended with yet another triumph for Max Verstappen. However, it should be noted that the car's updates have worked, and the gap to the top has decreased. Certainly, in the meantime, McLaren has also taken another evolutionary step and has almost completely closed the gap to Red Bull Racing, which was seen to be more troubled than usual on this occasion. Max Verstappen was saved by the providential help of his testers, and who knows how many more times this will happen. But the Anglo-Austrian team must start looking over their shoulder, because Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are aiming for much more important goals than second place. For now, however, the World Drivers' Championship standings see Max Verstappen in the lead with 161 points, against Charles Leclerc's 113, while in the World Constructors' Championship, Red Bull Racing leads with 268 points, compared to Scuderia Ferrari's 212 and McLaren Racing's 154. With the next Monaco Grand Prix, the circus will have completed one-third of the World Championship. In short, despite Max Verstappen's five wins, the fight can still reopen.