Formula 1 rolls into Imola, the home of Ferrari, as Charles Leclerc and the Prancing Horses look to extend their lead in both championships.
With two wins and a 34-point lead in the championship, Charles Leclerc has dominated the early stages of the Formula 1 season. He has seen his key rivals suffer car failures (Max Verstappen), deal with struggling designs (Lewis Hamilton), and bad luck/driver error (teammate Carlos Sainz). Although Leclerc is riding high on confidence and clearly has the best car to start the year, there will be tremendous pressure this weekend. The Tifosi will be out in full force hoping to see Ferrari secure its first win at Imola since Michael Schumacher in 2006.
Last season, Imola was the second circuit on the calendar and saw Max Verstappen pick up his first win of the year. He, Hamilton, and Norris landed on the podium, keeping both Ferrari’s just outside of the top positions, finishing fourth and fifth. The race was also highlighted by a big crash between Valtteri Bottas and his eventual replacement George Russell. Lance Stroll surprised by finishing 8th, while Red Bull’s Sergio Perez missed out on the points completely.
The United States (all times in EST)
- Free Practice 1 (FP1): Friday 4/22 – 7:25 am on ESPN 2 & ESPN Deportes
- Qualifying: Friday 4/22 – 10:55 am on ESPN 2 & ESPN Deportes
- FP2: Saturday 4/23 – 6:25 am on ESPN 2 & ESPN Deportes
- Sprint Race: Saturday 4/23 – 10:25 am on ESPN 2 & ESPN Deportes
- Grand Prix: Sunday 4/24 – 7:30 am on ESPN & ESPN Deportes [Note: That is the start of the pre-race broadcast. Lights out will be at 9:00 am.]
How it works 👀#F1 pic.twitter.com/CNDzO30281
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 20, 2022
The UK (all times in GMT)
- Free Practice 1 (FP1): Friday 4/22 – 12:00 pm on Sky Sports F1.
- Qualifying: Friday 4/22 – 3:00 pm on Sky Sports F1.
- FP2: Saturday 4/23 –11:15 am on Sky Sports F1.
- Sprint Race: Saturday 4/23 – 2:30 pm on Sky Sports F1.
- Grand Prix: Sunday 4/24 – 12:30 pm on Sky Sports F1. [Note: That is the start of the pre-race broadcast. Lights out will be at 2 pm.]
Last year's start was epic! 🍿#ImolaGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/Jfw6luUP3q
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 20, 2022
5 Things To Watch For This Weekend
1) Can Leclerc dominate the weekend and get the home win for Ferrari with expectations at record levels?
2) Has Red Bull resolved their reliability issues to give Max Verstappen a car to challenge for the victory?
3) Will Mercedes have any improvements to move them closer to the front? Or are they in for the same challenges until the Miami GP or later?
4) Can Alpine, and in particular, Fernando Alonso, finally put together a complete weekend? Will there be a new floor after Alonso looked set to challenge for the front row in Australia?
5) As the only Formula 1 team yet to pick up points, does Aston Martin have anything to challenge the middle of the pack this weekend?
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Main Image Credit: Embed from Getty Images
