Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix – The editors’ top/flop
We experienced a thrilling Imola Grand Prix. While Red Bull delivered a flawless performance, the same cannot be said for many of their competitors. Here is the Top/Flop according to our editors after this weekend in Imola.
So many events happened on the track during this weekend, that there would be a lot to say. Here, we focus on the three biggest satisfactions and the three biggest disappointments.
Flop 3
- The drivers of the Scuderia Ferrari
- Daniel Ricciardo is still searching
- Mick Schumacher struggles to convince
The biggest disappointment clearly comes from the Italian camp. Admittedly, their car had not evolved since the previous Grand Prix, but the Ferrari still remains the car to beat at the beginning of the season.
First of all, it is a Carlos Sainz under pressure who misses his qualifying. Fortunately for him, the Sprint race allows him to gain a few positions, rather than starting 10th on Sunday. Unfortunately, the Spanish driver becomes the victim of a slightly too optimistic Daniel Ricciardo on the first lap. Another disappointing weekend that surely won’t bring him the confidence he needs to compete with his teammate.
On his part, Charles Leclerc, who had done the hardest part at the start of the sprint race, finished it with graining and had to concede first place to Verstappen. A first defeat.
In the race, he misses his start, and despite 50 solid first laps, his pace is inferior to that of the Red Bull drivers.
In his desperate attempt to secure at least second place, he makes a fatal mistake and loses the podium position that was within his grasp. With a stroke of luck, he manages to finish in 6th place nonetheless and salvages some points that could prove decisive at the end of the year.
What laborious weekends at home for the Reds!
A little like with Carlos Sainz, one can sense frustration in the Australian’s behavior.
Regularly beaten by Lando Norris in 2021, the situation repeats itself in 2022. The Perth native struggles to make the most out of his McLaren and becomes sloppy.
Indeed, the weather conditions at Imola were treacherous, but it ruined Sainz’s race, his own, and indirectly Fernando Alonso’s as well.
If last year we couldn’t say anything about his performance because his car was a disaster, the situation is different in 2022.
The car is well born, the Ferrari engine is powerful, and above all, his teammate Ian Magnussen proves that the Haas can fight in every race to bring back big points.
Indeed, the German driver is a collateral victim of the collision between Sainz and Ricciardo, however, since the beginning of the season, his pace has consistently been slower than that of his Danish teammate.
Whether it’s in qualifications or in the race, Mick Schumacher struggles to compete with Magnussen. He must do much better if he wants to keep a chance of being hired by Ferrari in the near future.
Top 3
- The weekend of reconquest for Red Bull clan
- Lando Norris didn’t ask for that much!
- George Russell gains the upper hand over Lewis Hamilton?
It’s a perfect weekend for the Austrians that materialized in a magnificent and well-deserved double. The first one since… 2012!
We found a complete and tightly-knit clan, fully equipped for management.
Despite his “botched” start in the sprint race, Max Verstappen took the time to build up his comeback and ultimately overtake Leclerc at the end of the race.
He made it easier for himself for Sunday. The Dutch driver was never worried throughout these 63 laps.
Sergio Perez took advantage of the Monaco driver’s missed start to secure a welcome double finish after three challenging opening races for Red Bull.
A well orchestrated mastery on Italian soil that dealt a major blow to the morale of the Scuderia Ferrari troops.
Like last year, we find the British driver on the third step of the podium. Once again, he distinguished himself in difficult and wet conditions. His podium is even more shining as his teammate finishes at the back of the pack.
McLaren managed to turn things around after a rough start to the season that cast serious doubt on the car’s potential for improvements.
Fortunately, Lando Norris is here to restore confidence to the entire team.
In any case, the British driver seems to be suffering less from his Mercedes than his world champion teammate.
He finishes in a brilliant but unexpected fourth place. George Russell has surely managed to benefit from the challenging seasons experienced at Williams.
Clearly, it was the driver who made the difference today. When you see all the trouble Lewis Hamilton had trying to overtake Pierre Gasly, all we can do is applaud his teammate.
