F1 Today – Emilia-Romagna Prixview – 21/04/2022
Ferrari can’t look over shoulders – Leclerc
Charles Leclerc believes Ferrari must not look over its shoulder and dwell on the developments planned by rivals Red Bull and Mercedes as they attempt to catch up. Following two difficult seasons the Italian manufacturer has bounced back strongly taking advantage of the regulation changes and winning two of the first three races.
It has allowed Leclerc to open a thirty-four point lead at the top of the drivers’ championship after just three races, while teammate Carlos Sainz’s brace of podiums has helped Ferrari pull thirty-nine points ahead in the constructors’ standings. Red Bull has been Ferrari’s closest challenger but has been hit by reliability issues.
Leclerc told Motorsport.com, “I don’t want to look too much at the other. The approach that we’ve had the last two years, we couldn’t really focus on anyone else, because we did such a step backward from 2019 to 2020 that we just wanted to be back at the top.”
“By focusing on ourselves, we found much more value than just focusing on the others, and I think that is the approach that I want to keep this year. It is not looking too much about what Mercedes and Red Bull are doing.”
He echoed the words of teammate Carlos Sainz, whose contract extension was announced earlier on Thursday, that the team needed to focus on themselves and where they could improve. He says one of the strengths of Ferrari has been in recent years has been ‘identify our weaknesses and to work on them and to quickly fix them.’
In Melbourne, Leclerc dominated the weekend taking the first grand slam of his career, Ferrari has excelled better than they expected at some circuits this season. However, while saying that Ferrari has a strong car overall he was still expecting some circuits wouldn’t suit them.
He added, “We need to remain cautious. I think it is so close, that it’s difficult to predict if one team, Red Bull or us, will have the upper hand. There’s also the rain this weekend, which is something we don’t know with these cars yet, conditions that we’ve been struggling with in the past too.”
Sainz signs two-year contract extension
Carlos Sainz has signed a new two-year contract which will see him stay with Ferrari until 2024. The Spaniard has impressed with his speed, consistency and collaborative approach, the new deal means that both drivers are committed to the team for two more years with Charles Leclerc signing a five-year deal before the 2020 season.
Ferrari has started the 2022 season with the fastest car and Leclerc is the early favourite for the championship, after establishing a thirty-five-point lead in the standings with two wins, a second-place and three fastest laps in just three races. Sainz said, “I feel strengthened by this renewed show of confidence in me and now I can’t wait to do my best for Ferrari.”
The Italian manufacturer has emerged as the early favourites, after Leclerc won two of the opening three races and second in Jeddah giving him a thirty-four point lead over Mercedes George Russell. Sainz meanwhile is third, after crashing out in Melbourne.
Sainz added, “I have always said that there is no better Formula One team to race for and, after over a year with them, I can confirm that putting on this race suit and representing this team is unique and incomparable.”
He says that his first season was constructive with the team progressing together, setting his aim this season of taking his first win in F1.
Team principal Mattia Binotto said, “I have said several times that I believe we have the best driver pairing in Formula 1 and so, with every passing race, it seemed a completely natural step to extend Carlos’ contract, thus ensuring stability and continuity.”
“In his time so far with the team, he has proved to have the talent we expected from him, delivering impressive results and making the most of all opportunities.” Binotto added outside the car Sainz was a hard worker with an eye for the smallest details, which has helped the whole team to progress.
This he believes will allow the team to set ambitious targets and write new chapters in the history of our team,
Despite Leclerc’s huge lead, Binotto insisted after the Australian Grand Prix that the two Ferrari drivers were still free to race and that Sainz was not yet in a position where he would be asked to support his team-mate’s championship bid.
“Captain” Hamilton means no hard feelings – Russell
George Russell says that Lewis Hamilton’s status as “captain” of Mercedes means there will be “no hard feelings” between the teammates, regardless of results. Three races into the season, despite Mercedes being effectively in no man’s land with a pace deficit to rivals Ferrari and Red Bull, but comfortably ahead of the midfield.
Russell leads Hamilton by nine points going into this weekend’s race at Imola, he is adamant that the seven-time world champion’s standing within the team leaves no doubt as to who is the lead Silver Arrows driver. Russell told Sky Sports, “I think because we’re at just different stages of our career, there are no hard feelings either way.”
“From my side, I’m 24 years old going up against the greatest of all time, if he were to finish ahead of me, obviously I don’t like it but I’m not going to cry and sulk about it. think equally from Lewis’ side, he’s achieved so much – he’s a seven-time world champion, he’s got all the records.”
He pointed out they were at different stages in their career, but naturally, in the back of all drivers minds they are fighting to be leader, that wasn’t the case at Mercedes as Hamilton has been with the team for a decade. Russell described himself as the “new kid” going up against “the greatest of all time.”
Russell’s second place in the standings ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix in Imola is somewhat remarkable given Mercedes’ struggles in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Australia. But that has been thanks to Red Bull’s reliability issues in the opening rounds and Carlos Sainz’s poor weekend in Melbourne.
While it has been a strong damage limitation in the opening races, Mercedes are aware that major improvements are required if Mercedes are to remain in touch with its rivals. The big issue for Mercedes has been the way they have been affected more than other teams by porpoising which has cost them lap time.
He also added, “We need to keep on improving the engine and try to make that more efficient, obviously you’ve got the stable regulations but there’s more we can be doing to get the most out of the engine, which I think some of the other guys are doing a slightly better job of at the moment.”
Russell says there are so many different approaches and limitations they have, but he is feeling confident that if they can get on top of it they can find a chuck of time.
Hamilton linked to Chelsea takeover consortium
Lewis Hamilton has been linked to the consortium which is trying to buy Chelsea football club. Sky Sports says it has learned that the seven-time champion is part of investors backing the takeover offer for the club being spearheaded by Sir Martin Broughton.
The former Liverpool and British Airways chairman, the most prominent of whom are the seven-times world champion and the former women’s world tennis number one. They have been reported to have pledged £10m each. In recent years Hamilton, alongside his foundation, has invested in start-up companies and his own X44 extreme E team.
Their involvement in the Chelsea auction is unexpected, not least because Hamilton is an Arsenal fan. Hamilton and Williams have, however, been in talks with the group spearheaded by Broughton for several weeks.
A source close to the group said the addition of Hamilton and Williams was a serious investment decision because of their experience at building global sports brands. It also says both would play a formal role in Chelsea’s future efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion if the bid is successful.
He and Williams have been advocates in their respective sports and beyond in promoting equality, lending their names to numerous anti-discrimination initiatives.
“Shocking” changes means Stroll isn’t losing faith
Lance Stroll says the “shocking” speed that Aston Martin’s Silverstone facilities and infrastructure are being revamped means he hasn’t lost faith in the long-term prospects of the team.
The British manufacturer is the only team which hasn’t scored points, as Stroll and teammate Sebastian Vettel have struggled to tame the car. It knows there is no easy fixes to its overweight car and its struggles with porpoising. But the Canadian is focusing on the long term project and investment which it hopes will see it challenge for championships.
He told Motorsport.com, “We are really focused and excited on the future. It’s amazing what’s going on back at Silverstone with the factories. It’s going up so quickly. Every week that I go, it’s shocking to see how much progress they’re making and how quickly that building is coming up.”
“It’s really a process now of just developing, getting better understanding of what we can do better this season, but really looking forward to the next few years, and where this team is heading.”
2022 Sprint Weekend format
This weekend marks the first sprint weekend of the season, with two other Sprint races scheduled in Spielberg in July and Sao Paulo in November. The Sprint is a shortened Saturday race over 100km, this weekend’s twenty-one lap race at Imola will set the grid for the Grand Prix and the top eight will score points from eight for ‘the win/pole’ down to one for eighth.
Traditional qualifying for the sprint takes place on Friday in place of practice two, which moves to Saturday lunchtime, sets the grid for the race on Sunday. The biggest change for this season is the points structure, with the top six scoring points, The winner will collect eight points, second place will score seven, with this continuing in descending order down to eighth (one point).
However for statical reasons the driver who takes pole in the traditional qualifying will be credited with pole position. The driver who wins the Sprint will start Sunday’s main Grand Prix from first, IE pole position. The winner of qualifying ‘gets’ pole, and the winner of the Sprint starts on pole for the race.
The sprint does not have a mandatory change of tyres required and, unless cars hit damage or puncture or it rains, don’t expect them to leave the action on track for the pit lane between lights out and the chequered flag. Drivers are free to run on whatever tyre compound – hard, medium or soft – that they wish.
There are no changes for the race, other than the rule change from the start of the season which means if you get through to Q3 you are no longer forced to start in dry conditions on the tyre you set your fastest time in Q2.
The headache of Imola’s kerbs
teams and drivers could face a headache with the kerbs at this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix thanks to the characteristics of the 2022 cars. The start of the European-North American season takes place at Imola which features more aggressive kerbs curbs than at modern venues that have hosted races so far this season.
In the past, drivers have found that they have needed to ride the Imola kerbs a lot to deliver the fastest possible lap time, with the chicanes, in particular, offering good gains if they are straight-lined. However, the move to ground effect cars may lead to the teams needing to run the cars closer to the ground could cause headaches.
With so much of the car performance coming from the airflow under the car, teams are having to run their machines much closer to the ground than they have in the past. The reduction in ground clearance opens the risk for drivers to damage their floors if they run across the kerbs as aggressively as they have in the past.
One senior engineer told Motorsport.com: “If you look at the start of last year’s race, when Lewis Hamilton had to run across the kerbs at Turn 1 to avoid colliding with Max Verstappen, that would have badly crunched his floor if it happened with a 2022 car.”
Teams need to find the balance between lifting the car not to cause damage to the floor and not loosing too much performance. That could lead to drivers needing to treat the kerbs with more respect, but some may gamble to take more risks in a bid to find more speed.
Alfa Romeo’s head of trackside engineering Xevi Pujolar agreed that drivers would need to be careful when it came to how they approached the kerbs.
He said, “For sure it is something that we are taking into consideration. It can be a limiting factor. In some occasions, and the way you need to set up the car, and how much track you use, you really need to be careful in some parts. It could have an impact on the weekend.”
However, Haas driver Kevin Magnussen was unsure about how different the approach needed would be, but was hopeful it would not hold his team back.
He explained, “The cars are lower and they’re also stiffer, so kerb riding is a little harder than it used to be with the old cars, “We’ll see, I hope whatever challenges these new cars have we can still be in the competitive range in terms of kerb riding. Again, I think our car is all-round very strong so it should be alright.”
The weekend ahead
This weekend is Ferrari’s home race, the circuit which bears their name, they look to be the early leader’s thanks to the reliability issues which Red Bull has had in Sakhir and Melbourne. This is going to be a weekend where we might see upgrades, although the feeling I have had the sprint format means teams may stay away from this because Imola is quite demanding on cars.
Red Bull need a reliable weekend as they are already starting to drop behind Ferrari because of the reliability issues. They do have what you could describe as a quick but fragile car, they will be hoping they are on top of those issues and fight for the whole race with Ferrari.
The circuit as we know is old school, high kerbs, gravel, limited tarmac run off all increasing the chances of safety cars. The teams, therefore, need to be clever and careful as they will want to try naturally to get the best out of their car, but any mistake can be costly and we are at Imola where it is gravel traps and that can affect the whole race.
Accidents and safety cars are going to happen, we have seen them in both races since we returned in 2020. The battle between Alpine and Alpha Tauri, behind Mercedes will be interesting to see how that develops, this is the home race for Alpha Tauri who are based nearby and they have had decent results in the last two years.
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