By Joe Murphy
This weekend, Formula 1 heads to Imola and the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari where the track’s namesake lead both Championships at this early stage in the season. With the ‘Sprint Race’ format set to return, after a relatively successful introduction last year, there is much to discuss ahead of this iconic race. As Wheel2Wheel Reports presents to you our 150th ever article, let’s start with looking at the potential race winner…
Max to bounce back and state title claim
On current form, it would take a brave person to bet against Charles Leclerc. A near perfect start after three rounds, the Championship leader has well and truly illustrated his title credentials and demonstrated experience, calmness and maturity beyond his years. What has helped, of course, is the unreliability of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull car. In terms of pace, as seen in Jeddah, it is more than a match for the Ferrari. However, if it can’t finish a race, then the defending World Champion hasn’t a hope in retaining his crown. The fact that Red Bull are behind the much slower Mercedes after the opening triad of Grand Prix, says all you need to know. However, Max Verstappen cannot be kept away from the top spot for long and he has a great chance of taking the victory this Sunday. Don’t forget, this is a venue he won at little over a year ago. Perhaps Charles struggled to match the Dutchman in terms of pace, or indeed suffers mechanical problems of his own. The way his Ferrari in particular is looking this season so far, I’m tempted to opt for the former.
Sprint race to cause reshuffles across the grid?
After the successful introduction of the sprint race format to Formula 1 last season, you may be surprised to hear that there will only be three Circuits that adopt this formula in 2022, just like last year. The reason is purely financial. Whereas the FIA were happy to double the number of sprint races across the campaign, teams such as Mercedes and Red Bull demanded an extra budget to cover the cost of extra tyres and resources. As this was rejected by F1, we are left with only three events. Regarding this weekend though, it should be an exciting spectacle. Imola is a fast track and the majority of the grid have made mistakes over the last couple of years here. Whilst it is near impossible to call all the moves up and down inciuding all twenty drivers, it should be a good test of race pace, with effectively two races taking place. Expect Haas to do well, and Mercedes to set into their 5th and 6th places. You’d expect Max or Charles to take the win on Saturday, but don’t discount Checo or Sainz from causing a bit of an upset. Don’t forget that the top eight positions from Saturday’s race now get points and there are more points on offer for the event. With more at stake, we should see some great wheel to wheel action.
Carlos back on the podium?
Carlos Sainz didn’t do much wrong last time out. At all. He suffered a miserable weekend that was ultimately that way due to bad luck. This weekend offers the Spaniard a shot at redemption and with more racing taking place, this is as good a chance as any for the 27 year old to bounce back in style. A race win may not occur from Imola, but it isn’t out of the realms of possibility. A podium, however, is borderline likely if Carlos can get the most out of his Ferrari. If a title charge is a step to far, and Sainz is to play second fiddle to his teammate over the course of this year, then he will be a vital part of not only Leclerc’s success but also that of his team’s pursuit of Constructor Championship glory.
Can Aston Martin confirm their attendance please?
The most disappointing team this season so far is surely Aston Martin. Nobody expected the team to challenge at the front, but even their biggest critics wouldn’t have expected the team to be slowest. They are certainly the constructor who seem to be struggling most with the new regulations brought into play at the start of the year. Not only that, but the combination of a slow car, driver disruption and unreliability issues have resulted in the team being dead last in the standings, even behind Williams thanks to Alex Albon’s solitary point scored in Melbourne. Imola is a track that leads to mistakes and the sprint format could shake the grid up. This means that Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel have an opportunity to come away from Imola with something to show for their efforts. Wheel2Wheel Reports will stick their neck on the line and say that at least one of them can finish on the top ten in this race.
Where are Alpine truly at in terms of pace?
Fernando Alonso has had a strong yet unreliable start to the campaign whilst teammate Estaban Ocon is one of only four drivers to have scored points in every race so far. Alpine look competitive, and a podium or two could certainly occur this season, but will it be this weekend? As previously mentioned, the sprint format could open doors to teams such as Alpine. The constructor looks at a similar level to Mercedes, even edging the reigning Constructors Champions in some areas. With the Mercedes pair there for the taking, and more chance for something to go wrong with any of the front four, I expect either the Spaniard or the Frenchman to score some serious points. Or perhaps both will have a strong showing. Fernando in particular will be looking to make amends after Australia proved fruitless, after promising so much.
Feel free to check out any other of our articles using the links below…
Winners and Losers of the 2022 Australian Grand Prix
Why the Las Vegas Grand Prix highlights F1’s biggest problem
Max is in the Money!
Romeo. Romeo. Where Art Thou Alfa Romeo?
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