Max Verstappen complained and complained. “The front axle suddenly grabs hold,” the Formula 1 world champion shouted excitedly to his race engineer on Friday during training for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (Sunday 3 p.m./Sky). Translated from racing driver language, this means: The car bucks and does what it wants. At least not what the master pilot expects or demands. The trust in the company car is already gone. And so Red Bull’s chief driver not only lost his mood under full throttle, but also his leading position: only seventh fastest, just ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez. That was more due to the company car than to the master pilot.
He could still laugh: Max Verstappen.AP
Verstappen has more to offer. But his repeated rides into Botany, through the gravel along the piste, were evidence of the tough battle behind the wheel. He drove at the limit, the competition was more relaxed. Above all, Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari. The Monegasque turned the fastest lap at the “Autodrome Dino e Enzo Ferrari”, followed by Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and a surprise guest in the top three, Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls). Perhaps a little less fuel in the tank helped the Japanese driver to get through the lap more easily, a stone’s throw from the team’s headquarters in Faenza. Mercedes drove with Lewis Hamilton (4th) and George Russell (5th) four tenths of a second behind the fastest. The only German driver, Nico Hülkenberg (Haas), came ninth.
Drivers and team bosses tend to consider both pleasant and disappointing “Friday times” to be hardly reliable when it comes to the forecast for qualifying training on Saturday (4 p.m./Sky). But the Formula 1 man always tries to squeeze the best out of his machine. The conclusion: Red Bull has a problem to solve overnight. Gusts may have upset the RB20’s balance. Formula 1 cars are very susceptible to wind. But that affected everyone. Apparently the Ferrari reacts less sensitively.
For the first race in Europe this season, the Scuderia presented a completely facelifted SF24 for the first appearance at home. The big “upgrade” seems to be working well. It should lead to the next step of further reducing Red Bull’s lead, if not catching up.
“That’s how fun it is”
Even if Verstappen had managed an optimal lap in the hunt for the best lap time, it would hardly have been enough to set the best time. The fact that the second Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz finished sixth was due to small braking errors that had a greater impact. “That’s fun,” said Leclerc, “the upgrade works as expected, I feel very comfortable in the car. It looks like we have taken another step forward. But we have to be careful. On Saturday we will find different conditions.” Less wind, for example.
Second place for the Australian Piastri in the McLaren, the winning team in Miami almost two weeks ago, also speaks for an increase in performance in Formula 1. Lando Norris drove Verstappen to the finish line in the United States in the final phase, out of reach. If the Englishman hadn’t had to abandon his best tour in Imola because of a driving error in the second Rivazza corner, he would have at least ended up on the same level as his teammate, at least far ahead. Norris says the route suits his company car like no other piste.
Red Bull has been warned, but is primarily looking at Ferrari. The Italians’ hope of going beyond winning pole position on Saturday to achieving a second victory in the seventh of 24 Grand Prix in Imola is supported by a look at the simulation of the Grand Prix distance with a lot more fuel on board. Ferrari, including McLaren, clearly beat the times of the Red Bull drivers. Even if the series winner, as is often the case, still increases his performance on Saturday and finds a better balance, it looks like a head-to-head race.
Changing the safety zones along the 4.9 kilometer route could add extra excitement to the big party. Because asphalt run-off areas have been turned into gravel beds, small mistakes quickly lead to major consequences. Verstappen doesn’t seem to be fazed by all of this after the initial excitement over the radio about the shape and composure of his racing car.
He announced that he would use his free time as planned for a virtual competition. As an online pilot in a simulated 24-hour race with two missions: one on Saturday evening and one on Sunday morning. It wouldn’t be the first time if he had won before rolling to the grid in the real world.
