Nowhere are memories and emotions so evoked as imola – a cycle full of triumphs and tragedies. Not on the Formula 1 calendar for 14 years, it was a welcome return last season. The gruesome challenge that this poses has not been diminished with time. High speed and incredibly unforgiving, Imola demands courage. After a rapid start to the season, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix promises to pick up where we left off in Bahrain.
To stay tuned before this weekend, check out our latest race preview to hear from McLaren F1 drivers Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, as well as team principal Andreas Seidl. Discover why the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo and Dino Ferrari is a very different challenge for the Bahrain International Circuit. Find out about a brand new McLaren cap loaded with technology. and figure out how to ask the team anytime you want.
How do you follow?
| Round | 2 |
| Where | Enzo and Dino Ferrari (Imola) |
| When | April 16-18 |
| Start time | 3:00 p.m. local time, 2:00 p.m. CET, 9:00 a.m. EDT |
| consequences | TEAMStream and the McLaren App for exclusive comments and insights |
What you say
“We started the season with a good team result in Bahrain. Our goal is to keep moving forward with every race and maximize performance. There are still areas we need to work on to unleash the extra potential that can make us more competitive, but we are trying very hard to take these steps. Race one really showed how tough the competition is this year, which will lead to some exciting fights on the track that I’m looking forward to.
“It’s great to be back at Imola this season. As always, we will try to maximize the time on the track to make the most of the car in preparation for qualifying and the race. The position of the track is important in Imola as the chances of overtaking are limited. Turn One is the best opportunity to make a pass and it could be tricky elsewhere as the track is so tight. We will do everything we can to make the most of the weekend and score good points. “
“I’m looking forward to getting back in the car after a positive start in Bahrain. We got a good result in that first race and it felt great to make my debut for the team. I was a little unhappy with the damage we found to the car after the race and there are still a few things to learn and get to grips with that will take some time. In view of that, I am confident that we have to unlock a lot more power. We have worked hard at the factory to understand how to build on this solid start. I expected it would take a couple of races to feel comfortable in the car, but after the first race I feel better than I did in previous years. So this is really promising.
“Imola is next and we will give it plenty. It’s an iconic old-school track with a quick and fluid layout that leaves little room for error. I’m really excited to be returning there after last year’s race where I was on the podium. I definitely plan to use that experience from last year to help the team this weekend and to fight for those points. “
“We’re going to Imola this week after we got off to a strong start to the season in the opening race, but it’s crucial that we stay focused and consolidate it. As always, the team and our Mercedes colleagues are working hard to optimize our package and give us the best chance to fight for good points this weekend. At the same time, we continue to focus on our reliability and operational effectiveness to achieve our full potential.
“It is clear that some of our competitors have taken a step forward, although it is difficult to determine the true running order of a race. This only becomes clearer as the season progresses, with different conditions on tracks with different characteristics.
“We’re looking forward to racing in Imola for the second time in a row, this time with three full days of running with which we can optimize the setup. Imola represents a new challenge from the previous race, with different curve profiles and a tighter track layout. There are fewer opportunities to overtake than in Bahrain, which increases the importance of track position and our performance on Saturday. On Sunday we have to prepare for an exciting race that offers a range of opportunities and challenges, just like we saw last year. We look forward to another exciting weekend in Formula 1. “
Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna
What the statistics say
Imola’s recent return means Lando and Daniel only drove in F1 machines here once. But it’s great memories for Daniel, who qualified fifth last year and then finished on a podium. Lando never ran out of points for McLaren in races in Italy. He has a fourth and a tenth place in Monza, a sixth place in Mugello and an eighth place in Imola. McLaren has contested 27 of the 28 Grand Prix races at Imola and made it onto the podium 19 times – six of them victories.
Choice of tire compound for the Emilia Romagna GP
What to look out for
Qualifying is always important, but it’s especially important at Imola because while the race will end on Sunday there are fewer opportunities to overtake than in Bahrain. Imola isn’t quite like Monaco and Singapore, where qualifying is indeed king, but the starting position is likely to have a huge impact on the outcome of the race.
“Expect the field to be narrow and possibly mixed up as the type of track is very different from that of the Bahrain International Circuit: less power sensitivity with different composition of curve types and speed,” says Randy Singh, Director of Strategy and Sporting. “The tires will also behave differently because of the type of track, but also because it will be a lot cooler.”
That’s not all that’s different this weekend. When F1 returned to Imola in anticipation last season, no Friday race and only one practice session on Saturday morning added to the challenge. This year the teams have the full range of free training sessions to play with. This means that there is a lot to learn in the two hours on Friday in order to prepare for qualifying and the race.
Track limits were a hot topic at the season opener, but it’s less likely to be an issue at Imola. This is an old school racetrack that penalizes mistakes with minimal drainage and narrow stretches. The fact that it’s one of the few tracks on the calendar that is counter-clockwise only adds to the challenge for the riders, who can get their necks pounding as a result. On the positive side, Imola’s plethora of medium to high speed corners should suit the MCL35M. You can get a grip on the challenge ahead by reading our route guide with McLaren test and development driver Oliver Turvey.
Weather forecast for the weekend
What to wear
To be successful in F1 you have to give it your all, and here at McLaren that extends to our team clothing as well. We believe style has to be connected with substance and there is no better example of this than our 2021 Team Cap. Working with New Era, we built enough technology into this cap to ensure it works anywhere, anytime. We are talking about Outlast moisture-wicking Hex heat management technology, an IceSkin sweatband that makes you comfortable in extreme heat and UV sun protection with a sun protection factor of 50+. It all adds up to a cap that puts all others in the shade.
2021 Team 9FIFTY Cap
Full to the brim with advanced cap technology
Plus one
Do you have a burning question for the team? Make sure you send it to #TheFifthDriver ahead of the race weekend and we’ll answer the best during a live commentary on McLaren.com and the McLaren app. Additionally, any questions answered will be included in our new Question Time feature on McLaren.com: the ultimate, living, and breathing McLaren F1 FAQ.
Oh, and did we mention the prices? Yes, there are plenty of those too, and the “Question of the Week” deserves serious loot, everything from signed caps to driver prints. The Grand Prix question of the week in Bahrain came from @kerrxsmxth who wanted to know how we decide which side of the garage belongs to Lando and which belongs to Daniel – spoiler alert, it won’t be decided by Andreas, the ‘eeny, meeny, miny, moe ‘.
Question time
The ultimate 2021 McLaren F1 FAQ
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Imola route guide
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Caption this
A helping of comic book relief after the Bahrain Grand Prix
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Montoya runs No. 86
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McLaren Unboxed
An insight into an action-packed weekend in Bahrain
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The post McLaren Racing – Everything you need to know for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix first appeared on monter-une-startup.
