Pouring rain, long runs at the Acque Minerali, gravel cars and pure speed in the green hills of Emilia, Imola is back gentlemen, and it's nice to see so many people already in the stands! We expected the rain and it came. The first free practice session at the end, despite the large amount of rain that fell in the morning at Imola, ended under the sound of pouring water and the single-seater engines.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz closed the session with a 1-2 Ferrari, which is becoming a cliche at this point. Ferrari is strong and Red Bull is chasing it. Even if in the wet it is difficult to find the right feeling with the single-seater, also considering that this is the first time that the riders have tried them in the wet, despite the tests done in Barcelona. During FP1 we saw several big guys, many also from Leclerc, always ready to get the most out of his F1-75.
The anomalous format of the Sprints has led to a reduction in the practice sessions, in fact the riders in less than two hours will be called back to the track for qualifying, which will determine the starting grid for tomorrow's sprint race.
Let's go see who to choose for this fourth day!
Charles Leclerc: A captain, there is only one captain. Always him, even if we saw him turn around several times in this practice session. We know that he demands the maximum from himself and from the car. The Ferrari adapts well to the layout of the track and doesn't suffer like the others. After the Grand Slam Charles has even more appetite.
Carlos Sainz: if you want a medium-high cost team of drivers, we recommend you Carlos maybe to combine with George Russell. Carlos he had a perfect session, has a new engine, has just signed a renewal and wants to redeem himself. He has the car to do it and is looking for his first success in Formula 1, which with the red car would have an even greater weight.
The Haas couple (Magnussen and Schumacher): Kmag is back! after the bad weekend in Melbourne, the Viking is back to shaking the stands. The "white Ferrari" as some like to call it in the wet seems to go. Both he and Mick they placed well in FP1, immediately after the reds and Verstappen, where perhaps we expected other teams like Mercedes.
Stephen Ocon: Alpine is testing a new fund on Fernando Alonso, but it doesn't necessarily lead to good results, it's still early to tell. Esteban has been a guarantee in recent matches and we believe he can be the same in this one. Esteban also mounts a new Power Unit, as a precaution.
Yuki Tsunoda: He wants to do well in his "home" race like a good adopted Italian, as demonstrated by his special helmet. Also from medium to low cost, it doesn't struggle like the others to stay on track. He has yet to prove his worth, will he here?
Remember that the first 8 tomorrow in the sprint race will get additional points, in addition to those that will be awarded on Sunday. Good fun!
