Formula 1 is back in action after a three-week break for the Imola Grand Prix. Qualifying will take place on Saturday, April 17th, 2021. This is followed by the race on Sunday April 18th. After the Bahrain Grand Prix, it is clear that Mercedes and Red Bull will be the two teams fighting for pole position on Saturday.
Imola Grand Prix Qualifying Preview
As in any other Formula 1 season, qualifying is divided into three parts, namely Q1, Q2 and Q3. These sessions will determine the starting grid for the race on Sunday. Each qualification takes 45 minutes. Q1 lasts 18 minutes, Q2 lasts 15 minutes, and Q3 lasts 12 minutes.
Qualifying is the most important practice session in the Imola Grand Prix. Similar to the race in Monaco, the legendary Italian racetrack was only overtaken minimally. With the exception of the overtaking maneuvers in the first lap, only six took place at the Imola Grand Prix last season. That means Saturday’s session will be one of the most intense in the 2021 season.
After completing the two training sessions on Friday, Mercedes looks like the team to beat on Saturday. Valtteri Bottas beat teammate Lewis Hamilton to be the fastest man in both the first and second quarters.
Meanwhile, Red Bull had a one-day roller coaster ride. Max Verstappen finished third in FP1, but had to retire early in FP2 after reliability problems forced him to pull up to the start / finish line. In FP1, the Dutchman was just 0.058 seconds behind Valtteri Bottas’ Mercedes.
Qualifying at the Imola Grand Prix could hold some surprises in store. The home teams AlphaTauri and Ferrari looked deceptively fast. Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc looked quick and finished in the top four in training.
Qualification predictions for the Imola Grand Prix
Due to the training results on Friday, it is difficult to look past Mercedes to pole position during qualifying at the Imola Grand Prix. Valtteri Bottas will try to stay one step ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton. He has to be careful though as the Brit usually does his best to finish.
If Hamilton takes pole on Sunday, it will be the 99th of his outstanding Formula 1 career. It would also put him in the best place to win his 97th Grand Prix race.
Red Bull is also fighting for pole. The team dominated the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend even though it hadn’t won. However, they weren’t that fast this weekend. Therefore, they are not the favorites for pole position at the Imola Grand Prix.
The midfield fight is tight as always. Ferrari brought in some aero upgrades for the Imola Grand Prix that seem to have worked well for the Scuderia. The Maranello team are likely to be the best of the others and could aim for a podium if luck comes their way.
Haas should unfortunately qualify for P19 and P20. The American team has already announced that it will not develop its VF-21 any further.
When does the Imola Grand Prix qualify?
Qualifying for the Imola Grand Prix will take place on April 17, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. local time (CET).
For fans in the UK, qualifying starts at 1:00 p.m. CET.
For spectators in the US, qualifying begins at 8 a.m. Eastern Time.
For fans in India, qualifying starts at 5:30 p.m. IST.
Epic racetrack. Competitive grid. And this weather forecast … 
Trust us, you won’t want to miss any of the #ImolaGP promotions this weekend.
– Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team (@ AstonMartinF1) April 15, 2021
Published 16 Apr 2021, 22:57 IST
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The post Formula 1 2021: Imola Grand Prix Qualifying Preview and Prediction first appeared on monter-une-startup.
