Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix: The Race Perspectives
After a 14-year absence, Imola returns to the calendar. After qualifications with their share of surprises, MotorsInside reviews the prospects for the race.
Will Bottas hold on?
In recent weeks, Valtteri Bottas has experienced several setbacks by dominating free practice and the start of qualifying but always having to bow to his teammate, Lewis Hamilton. In Imola, the opposite scenario unfolded, with the Finn managing to deliver the perfect lap to secure his 15th pole position.
At the start, he will have to hold off Lewis Hamilton since the very narrow circuit offers very few overtaking opportunities on the track. The start and pit stops will therefore be the key points of the race. Certainly, number 77 has taken the advantage, but we know the determination and thirst for victories of number 44. If Valtteri Bottas ends up winning, it would be only his third victory of the season, while Lewis Hamilton has already added seven wins to his total.
Will Max Verstappen’s mechanics hold up?
If Max Verstappen once again finished third, his session was quite eventful. During his first lap in Q2, the Dutchman reported over the radio that he had no power. His mechanics quickly got to work by removing the engine cover and managed to get him back on track before the end of the session. But the worm is in the apple, and one might wonder if the mechanics will hold out until the end of the race given that he has already been let down several times since the start of the session.
If the Red Bull driver manages to reach the finish, will he be able to split the two Mercedes, as he has done many times before?
Will Renault reclaim third place?
The battle in the heart of the pack remains intense, with only six points separating Racing Point and Renault, with McLaren in the middle. After the qualifications, advantage Renault with Daniel Ricciardo in fifth place, ranked just behind the excellent Pierre Gasly. But once again, the fight will be tight since McLaren has both its drivers in the top 10, just ahead of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon.
Each position will be fiercely defended since the stakes have never been so high between these three teams, knowing that AlphaTauri could play the spoiler since the small Italian team showed very interesting pace at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari circuit, with Pierre Gasly and Daniil Kvyat finishing in fourth and eighth places.
