Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna: notes for the stage

Pirelli

Mario Isola: “Imola has a difficult old track, where it is not easy to overtake, also because it is quite narrow in some places. Much will be determined by a strategy whose main goal is to avoid traffic in the race.

This year we opted for the same rubber compounds, but these are completely different tires than in 2021, moreover, when the riders started on wet tires, and then the race was stopped for a long time due to red flags.

Imola has an average tire load, races are often held there, so the evolution of track condition over the weekend will not be as great as on other circuits. These are just some of the factors that teams need to consider when developing a tire strategy for the first sprint event of the season.”

Ferrari

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Red Bull Racing

Max Verstappen: “I’m looking forward to the weekend at Imola with the first sprint race of the season. It is important to get the most out of the first training session by setting up the qualifying session on Friday.

The team on track and at the base in Milton Keynes are doing everything they can. I hope the weekend goes smoothly and we start to earn a lot of points. Now we’re looking at each race individually – we’ll see where we finish at the end of the season.”

Sergio Perez: “The Australian weekend for the team turned out to be mixed, but for me it was successful after pole position and fourth place in Jeddah. I’m happy with my performance this season and the podium in Melbourne was the next step – you have to keep getting maximum results for yourself and the team.

This weekend will be raced with Saturday’s sprint, I will try to earn as many points as possible. A lot depends on a good qualifying on Friday. There is a chance of rain this weekend and that will also play a role. We have to learn from last year’s performance at Imola and continue to improve in all areas.”

Mercedes AMG Petronas

Toto Wolff: “Melbourne had a great Formula 1 weekend – we saw an incredible atmosphere and were delighted to meet the Australian fans. For our team, the race was better than expected, especially after a difficult Friday.

George and Lewis showed good form all weekend and earned a lot of points for the team. We learned a lot and really took advantage of the opportunities – we must continue in the same spirit.

We know that our car does not have the speed of Ferrari and Red Bull at the moment, but we are working hard to close the gap. It is nice to see that all the personnel at the bases have joined forces to achieve this goal.

Over the Easter weekend we worked hard on the basics to improve the car and get it ready for the next race. All this shows the team’s desire to change the situation. Of course we have to be realistic – it will take time to reclaim the gap, but we are trying to learn in every race and find opportunities to move forward.

We are waiting for the stage in Imola and the first sprint of the season. It will be an old-school historic track with a complex configuration, but the riders love it. Qualification is very important on a narrow track and the racing characteristics will be a real test. We look forward to seeing how the 2022 cars handle Imola.”

McLaren

Andreas Seidli, Team Principal: “We’ve had a good run at Imola since the track was back on the calendar in 2020 – both races scored points with two cars. The team sets the same goal for this weekend.

The characteristics of the track and the sprint format offer additional possibilities, so we have to be ready to use them at any time.

Imola has a great historical circuit. Let’s see how the situation with overtaking new cars will be. Now that the grid is forming in Saturday’s sprint, fans are in for an exciting weekend. The riders have an extra incentive, because now in the sprint the top gets eight points.

Fifth and sixth places in Australia were an excellent result for the team and a testament to the hard work of every employee in Woking. We will keep fighting and moving forward – the team will do everything possible this weekend.”

Lando Norris: “I’m happy to be back in Imola! Last year’s race was great – I earned the first podium of the season. The team is not battling for a top three place yet, but I hope we make progress this weekend and take another step forward.

Imola is a fast track with some special features, so it should be fun to drive new cars. The sprint always creates interest for the fans, and I am curious how the weekend will go.

The Australian stage was positive for the team, but we know there is still a lot to do before we are in the positions we want. It is necessary to keep adding, learn the features of the machine and be ready to take any opportunity.

Daniel Riccardo: “I remain in a good mood after a strong result at the home stage in Melbourne. Hopefully we can keep the momentum going in Imola. Sprint is back this weekend, so anything is possible. You have to stand firm on the ground and keep improving the car to get the most out of it.

Imola has a technically difficult track, fast and smooth. I wonder how our cars will perform in such conditions. Last year we scored a lot of points at Imola and I hope we will score points this weekend as well.

Stage in Melbourne was a positive step forward, but the performance of the machine is still far from the performance we want to see. Thanks to the team on base and on the track for the work done. We keep attacking!”

Hare F1

Interview: Gunther Steiner | Kevin Magnussen | Mick Schumacher

Alfa Romeo

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alpine

Interview: Pat Fry | Fernando Alonso | Esteban Ocon

AlphaTauri

Pierre Gasly: “The trip to Australia was long, but it was worth it – I earned points again. Despite the difficulties at the beginning of the weekend, everything turned out well in the end. The car didn’t have enough speed, but we kept our concentration and got the result, although I wasn’t lucky – I made a pit stop before the safety car took off and lost five places. I tried my best to come back and earned two more points for the team. It’s not much, but it’s important to earn as many points as possible.

We understand that we still have a lot to do to get more out of the car – and we will continue this work in Imola. McLaren and Alpine cars are very fast, plus the three strongest teams – so far we can’t count on finishing 11th in qualifying due to our speed.

It will be nice if we take a step forward in Imola. This route is especially popular because it is not far from our base. Everyone in the team wants to succeed, the fans will actively support us – this weekend is always a special atmosphere.

The configuration is very technical, there are many unique corners in Imola. I have successfully competed in qualifying on this track several times – in 2020 I started fourth. It would be nice if we could show our best result of the season on Sunday.

Overtaking in Imola is difficult, the track is narrow – on Friday you have to focus on qualifying and try to regain a few places in Saturday’s sprint, which was another chance to score points this year.

Yuki Tsunoda: “In Australia I liked the positive vibe of the coastal city, but the weekend wasn’t easy – we couldn’t avoid problems, especially on long series of circles.

I was happy with my progress over the weekend, as I was speaking at an unfamiliar track. Already after the first practice I felt confident, but the race was not without problems. We knew in which areas we needed to improve – and we worked hard at Imola to already perform better.

An interesting weekend ahead on our home circuit, for the first time this season it will be held in the sprint format on Saturday. Last year I was worried about qualifying on weekends like this because we only have one practice for it, but now I feel more confident, also because I know the Imola circuit well. Also now I know how to prepare for sprint weekends and I hope it will end with earned points.

The track is a bit narrower than the one we’ve driven this year – it’ll be interesting to see how the new cars will behave. I can assume that we will tackle the curbs differently this year than before. Let’s see how the car will behave during the first training session – and at the beginning of qualifying we will draw conclusions.

I am well prepared for the weekend. I have often performed in Imola and last week I also worked on the simulator. I’ve been living in Italy for a while now so the race ahead is almost like a home, every night I can stay in my own house which is close to the track – it’s much better than staying in a hotel.

Aston Martin

Lance Walk“It’s great that Imola not only returned to the Formula 1 calendar a few years ago, but also anchored in it and became one of the classic circuits. This is an old school track with narrow safety zones. The cars need to be set up for a fast and smooth circle, and it takes courage to find the limit as fast as possible and drive circles consistently. It will be interesting to see how the sprint will change the balance of power this weekend.”

Sebastian Vettel: “Imola is a real test for the driver and the car, but it should be every circuit in Formula 1. It used to be hard to imagine that we would ever race in Imola with ground effect cars, but it’s great In a way we are going back to the eighties.

I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel and picking up speed. There has never been a sprint at Imola before, so it’s interesting how this will affect the balance of power.”

Williams

Alex Albon“For me, this is the first sprint in Formula 1, I look forward to trying an unusual approach to the weekend and assessing the challenges and opportunities it will bring. Our team has always performed well in Imola, we will get to work and see what happens in the end.

In Melbourne the team had a very effective strategy and we had a great race. I hope we can use this success to put in a good performance this weekend as well.”

Nicholas Latific: “I am very happy to start at Imola. We are waiting for the first weekend of this year with a sprint on Saturday – it is always a difficult test, especially this season when we are just getting to know new cars.

Usually the track in Imola suits our car and I like to race here. This is a real old school track with lots of interesting curves and curb attacks. I look forward!”