Aston Martin F1 is looking forward to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. It is already the fourth round in the Formula 1 championship and this time with the return of the sprint race.
Sebastian Vettel had a disappointing weekend in Australia and will try everything to achieve a good result.
The return of the Sprint format means practice is key as teams try to fine-tune set-up, balance and understand tire behaviour. Combined with the cars new for 2022, every minute counts in FP1 and FP2, and any setbacks could mess up the order on Sunday.
It will also be a tough battle tactically, the circuit near Imola has the longest pit lane loss of the season with 28 seconds. Combined with historically low tire degradation, teams are unlikely to make more than one stop in the race.
While the 2022 cars seem to make overtaking easier, it’s still tricky at Imola. Short straights, fast corners and one DRS zone contributed to just 12 passes after the first lap in 2021 – all but one that required DRS. The long run from the grid to turn two at the start is the best chance of overtaking.
Times standings and differences after round 3 Formula 1 season 2022
Lance Stroll: “It was cool to see Imola not only returning to the F1 calendar, but re-establishing itself as one of the classic circuits we visit. Few circuits are more old-fashioned: there is so little run-off and you have to make adjustments for a fast and smooth lap, so it’s about courage and finding the limits as quickly and consistently as possible. It will be interesting to see how the changes in F1 Sprint brighten up the race weekend as well.”
Sebastian Vettell: “Imola is a real test of driver and machine, and that is what any F1 circuit should be. It’s hard to imagine we’d ever race around Imola in ground effect cars – that’s something really special, and a bit of a throwback to the eighties, which is cool. I’m looking forward to getting back in the car and getting up to speed. Imola has never organized a sprint race before, so I’m curious how that will turn out.”