The grid for Sunday's race is determined by the finishing order of the sprint, which means Verstappen will start with Leclerc on the front row.
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A legendary circuit often hosts a race that can be cherished for quite a while into the future and Italy’s Imola track is certainly one of the more historic ones in Formula One. Imola was home to the San Marino Grand Prix from 1981 to 2006. In 2019, it was brought back as part of the Emilia Romagna GP. 2022 will see the event’s third edition and it certainly promises to be an exciting affair. Saturday’s sprint race saw Max Verstappen flying past Charles Leclerc in the final stages and taking the victory. The grid for Sunday’s race is determined by the finishing order of the sprint, which means Verstappen will start with Leclerc on the front row. While that is the main battle for the drivers’ championship at the moment, other stories will unfold at Imola simultaneously. Here are a few things to look out for ahead of the 2022 Emilia Romagna GP.
The reigning champion and Lelcerc have had an incredible rivalry so far in every race. Although the Dutchman has not been able to finish two of the last three races, the fight between the two has had its moments. Saturday was no different with Verstappen snatching away the win from the Ferrari driver in the last moments of the sprint race. The two will start in the front row on Sunday and one can rest assured that they will be at it from the get-go.
Read More – Emilia Romagna GP 2022: Max Verstappen pips sprint race win from Charles Leclerc
The Scuderia and Red Bull Racing seem to be leaps and bounds ahead of all of their competitors so far. Although the Milton-Keynes-based team is only just ahead of Mercedes on the constructors’ championship table, they are superior on the track. But are they superior to Ferrari? That question can only be answered as the season goes on. However, there is no question that if there is anyone who can challenge the Ferrari blitz this season, it is Red Bull. The two rows at the front of the grid have been occupied by drivers of these two teams. Verstappen and Leclerc start on the front row with Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz right behind in third and fourth respectively. Ferrari may have the psychological advantage since Italy is home for them but Red Bull are capable of spoiling the party.
To say qualifying and sprint was a disappointment for the Silver Arrows would be an understatement. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished P10 and P14 respectively and that is where they will start from on Sunday. While Russell made up a place on the grid after a poor qualifying session, Hamilton went a place down. The seven-time world champion sounded absolutely distraught in the post-race press conference. Things look difficult, and perhaps irrecoverable, for Mercedes so it will be interesting to see how they perform in the race.
Read More – Lewis Hamilton news: Mercedes driver dejected after woeful Imola sprint
If the season so far is anything to go by, McLaren have come woefully short of their expectations. While the Australian GP performance was some reason for celebration, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were absolutely horrific for the Woking-based team. However, there is hope at Imola. Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo had a decent outing in the sprint race and they will start P5 and P6 respectively. It would be unwise to assume that things could only look up for Zak Brown’s men from this point on but they could certainly build on the sprint race performance.
If there is any constructor that has heavily improved this season, it is Haas. For three seasons straight, the US-based constructor was plum last in the constructors’ championship. Last season, they could not score a single point. However, things are looking up for Guenther Steiner, and in a huge way. Saturday’s sprint saw Kevin Magnussen finishing P8 and taking the team’s points tally to 13 already. It was a great day for Mick Schumacher as well who finished P10, thus securing his highest ever grid position. It has been an excruciatingly long wait for those at Haas for a double-points finish but Sunday seems like a great opportunity to make it happen.
