The historical Imola circuit is set to host the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on 24th April
F1 returns this weekend after a short break and unfortunately, there is some not-so-good news for the fans. The qualifying session for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is set to take place on 23rd April followed by the race on the next day. However, there are high chances that we may face disturbances in the form of rain and thunderstorms on both days. According to the official weather forecast, scattered showers are predicted on April 23 while it gets worse with expected thunderstorms on April 24. The chances of rain on both those days are more than 50% as per the current forecast.
The weather forecast implies that the Grand Prix might well be taking place on a wet track just like it happened in 2021. It is going to be more challenging for the drivers to race on a wet track and at the same time, it bridges the gap between the more ‘powerful’ and the relatively ‘weaker’ cars on the grid.
Ferrari are definitely the overwhelming favourites going into the race. They will be driving on home turf and have been in great rhythm, sitting comfortably on top of both the drivers’ and constructors’ leaderboards. However, the change in conditions is quite certainly going to bring about a change in plans and strategies. Ferrari have been really good on dry surface, will they be up to the task on a wet track or is it time for some other team to hog the limelight?
How challenging is the track at the Imola circuit?
The unique feature of the track in Imola is that is one of the very few international circuits to run in an anti-clockwise direction. It has a total length of 4.909 kilometres including 19 turns. The circuit was first opened for the public in 1953 and supports a total capacity of 78,000 people.
The circuit has undergone major revisions since 2007 and is quite different from its older version. The old pit garages and paddocks have been demolished and completely rebuilt while the pit lane has been extended and resurfaced. Faster timings have been recorded in the revamped circuit. The official lap record for the current Grand Prix Circuit layout is 1:15.484 set by Lewis Hamilton in 2020.
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