Jean Alesi believes the Red Bull team got lucky at Imola with the race and weather conditions. The former Ferrari driver feels Charles Leclerc’s mistake also helped Sergio Perez secure second place.
Speaking about the Imola race to Corriere della Sera, Alesi said:
“At Imola, with the sprint race and the difficult weather conditions, it was impossible to understand how best to set up the cars. Red Bull, with a bit of luck, immediately went in the right direction. With three practice sessions and normal conditions I don’t know if It ended like last Sunday.”
Alesi doubts the Milton Keynes team could have had the same result in normal weather and regular weekend format with three practice sessions. The former F1 driver felt that it got lucky with the sprint format and their setup for all the sessions suited them.
Ex-Ferrari driver feels Charles Leclerc’s mistake helped Red Bull secure second place
Although the Milton Keynes team had secured the win with Max Verstappen leading every lap of the race after claiming pole and a sprint win, Jean Alesi felt Charles Leclerc’s mistake helped Sergio Perez secure second place. Given that the Ferrari driver is fighting for the championship, Alesi feels that Monegasque has genuine reasons to push the limit while chasing the Mexican.
Commenting on Leclerc’s performance, Alesi said:
“[Charles] Leclerc desperately tried to pass Sergio Perez and had to minimize the disadvantage by exiting that chicane with too much speed. He made a mistake, but Leclerc is fighting for the World Championship. It showed in the fact that he did everything to secure second place.” Charles Leclerc’s spin at the 2022 Grand Prix of Imola. The pressure was very intense!
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2022Charles Leclerc’s spin at the 2022 Grand Prix of Imola. The pressure was very intense!#f1 | #imolagp 
2022 https://t.co/1q7Fm7RlCI
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The Imola GP result catapulted Red Bull to second place in the constructors’ standings where they trail Ferrari by 11 points. In the drivers’ standings, Verstappen trails Leclerc by 26 points, which is less than a race win away from grabbing the lead. The sprint weekend format, however, helped the team get a massive points haul of 48 points, and a 1-2 finish was a bonus.
