The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the seventh round of the 2024 calendar and the first on European soil this season, promises maximum excitement on an old-school circuit, the Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack of Imola. The first day of competition, very eventful in the morning session and more stable in the afternoon, points to a close fight for pole between Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren this Saturday. For now, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) is the fastest one lap away, with Carlos Sainz sixth at half a second, Verstappen seventh, with many problems and Fernando Alonso closing the top 10.
Verstappen, who started with a bad feeling in the morning and had several off-track trips, with a chilling excursion onto the grass at high speed, regained control in the afternoon session, more established at the wheel of the RB20. With a little less understeer, the World Championship leader has reduced the time he had allowed to Charles Leclerc lead FP1 (1.16.990), to put it at 1:16.734, even with medium tires.
But the track has improved significantly compared to the first session and the wind has eased, giving more confidence to the drivers and especially to an inspired Leclercwhich in Imola not only debuts updates in its SF-24 car, but also in the box, with Bryan Bozzi as the new track engineer, replacing the Catalan Xavi Marcos. The Monegasque has returned to the front and has been the first – and the only one – to break the 1.16 barrier (1.15.906).
New Alonso-Hamilton strike
Fernando Alonso He was facing a promising day, with up to eight updates to his Aston Martin. The morning was not very favorable for the Asturian, who rode with sensors to collect information, then did a run with mediums and when he put on the soft ones he made a mistake on his lap in the third sector to close FP1 in tenth. post, after spending many minutes in the garage, changing the configuration of the AMR24.
In Free 2, Alonso has not managed to stand out either , he repeated in tenth place and also complained about Lewis Hamilton’s maneuvers: “He thinks he is alone on the track. This is the second time he has done it to me,” he said on the radio, very angry. Verstappen has also had it out with the Englishman, who next year will be the idol of the tifossi and it seems that he wants to start winning them over.
Williams’ day has gone worsewith the two cars in the pits, both with mechanical problems in the afternoon, after a morning breakdown by Albon, who was barely able to ride on the new floor that the Grove team is incorporating this weekend.
Verstappen had to settle for seventh position at the end of these free sessions, which ended with a new visit to the gravel, with worried faces on the Red Bull wall, which confirms the difficulties of their car in high temperatures, as already happened in Miami.
In any case, the result of this first round in Imola leaves many unknowns for Saturday’s classification, with the Ferrari ‘flying’ at home, putting pressure on Max and the McLaren in full positive momentum after the victory of Norris in United States.
Emilia Romagna GP. Free 2:
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1’15″906
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) a 0″192
3. Yuki Tsunoda (Visa RB) a 0″380
4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) a 0”391
5. George Russell (Mercedes) a 0″405
6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) at 0”517
7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) a 0″541
8. Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) at 0”646
9. Nico Hülkengerg (Haas) in 0”920
10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) at 0”932
11. Daniel Ricciardo (Visa RB) at 1”061
12. Lando Norris (McLaren) a 1”074
13. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) a 1″085
14. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) a 1”102
15. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) a 1″158
16. Valtteri Bottas (Kick Sauber) a 1”182
17. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) a 1″223
18. Alexander Albon (Williams) a 1”646
19. Guanyu Zhou (Kick Sauber) a 1″700
20. Logan Sargeant (Williams) a 1″942
2024-05-17 16:29:00
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