F1 information: The 6 greatest storylines because the grid heads to Imola

The System One world shifts to northern Italy this week, for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola. This Grand Prix was added to the F1 calendar throughout the COVID-shortened 2020 season, initially supposed to be a stop-gap substitute for that season. Nevertheless, as further races had been canceled in 2021 it remained on the calendar, and in March of 2022 F1 added the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix as a everlasting fixture till a minimum of the 2025 season.

Lewis Hamilton gained the inaugural Emilia Romagna Grand Prix again in 2020, however since then it has been — and cease me when you’ve got heard this earlier than — an all-Pink Bull affair. Max Verstappen has gained essentially the most two editions of this Grand Prix, and final season noticed Pink Bull lock out the entrance row with Sergio Pérez coming in second. Lando Norris of McLaren scored his solely podium of the 2022 marketing campaign a 12 months in the past at Imola, coming in third behind the duo of Bulls.

Listed here are the six greatest storylines to comply with as F1 heads to Italy.

The way forward for Nyck de Vries

Photograph by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Photos

F1 followers know full effectively that “foolish season” is at all times lingering. Whereas we now have but to listen to any concrete information concerning drivers dropping their seat for the 2024 marketing campaign, final week noticed the primary rumblings {that a} crew was sad with one in every of their drivers, and their place on the grid was turning into unsettled.

AlphaTauri rookie Nyck de Vries has struggled by the beginning of the season, and is coming off an 18th-place end two weeks in the past in Miami. Previous to that, de Vries notched a DNF when he slid off the monitor in Baku within the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

His current struggles have led to hypothesis that he might be changed this season if his type doesn’t enhance. One report famous that Daniel Ricciardo might be given the prospect to slip into his seat if de Vries couldn’t proper the ship, and whereas these experiences had been subsequently dismissed, Pink Bull advisor Helmut Marko has reportedly issued a “yellow flag” to the rookie, giving him till mid-June to enhance his efficiency.

“Nothing will occur within the subsequent three races. We spoke to de Vries and he agrees with us: he wants to enhance,” stated Marko to F1 Insider. “The gap to teammate Yuki Tsunoda, who’s doing an excellent job, is simply too massive. To make use of footballer jargon, Nick bought the yellow card, however not the purple but. If he improves, a driver change is not going to be a difficulty.”

The driving force may gain advantage from a package deal of upgrades AlphaTauri is bringing to Imola. In line with Guillaume Dezoteux, the crew’s Head of Car Efficiency, the AT04 will see some upgrades this week, together with a brand new flooring. “We’re trying ahead to introduction,” stated Dezoteux to Motorsport. “It is a vital step, it’s a massive step, so we hope it’ll meet expectations. There may be at all times a query mark over the standard of correlation. However thus far, the updates we now have achieved meet expectations.”

Whether or not these updates deliver aid for de Vries, nevertheless, is a special query.

The grid turns into a grind beginning this week

Imola kicks off the primary of two triple headers on the 2023 F1 calendar. Following the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this week, the groups will head to Monaco for the crown jewel of the F1 calendar, the Monaco Grand Prix. Then it’s to Barcelona the next week, for the AWS Spanish Grand Prix.

The one different triple header comes later this fall, when the groups will head from Texas to Mexico, after which Brazil, for three-straight races.

The compressed schedule over the subsequent few weeks will make life tough for the drivers and the groups, notably when you think about the variations between the three tracks themselves. Whereas Imola and Barcelona are extra conventional racing circuits, Monaco is a punishing avenue course the place qualifying is crucial.

How the groups, and the drivers, deal with these subsequent three weeks might inform the story of your entire 2023 F1 season.

Can Haas make an Aston Martin-style leap?

Photograph by Dan Istitene – System 1/System 1 by way of Getty Photos

The success so removed from Aston Martin has been one of many main storylines to the younger F1 season, and we are going to get to them extra in a second. However as somebody who additionally covers the NFL — and is aware of full effectively how when one crew has success, 31 groups look to emulate their progress — it’s no shock to see different lower-level groups trying to manufacture an Aston Martin-style leap of their very own.

As soon as such crew? Haas.

The crew presently sits seventh within the Constructors’ standings in the meanwhile, one spot forward of the place they completed a 12 months in the past. Haas can be coming off a powerful efficiency in Miami, the place Kevin Magnussen certified fourth forward of the Miami Grand Prix. Magnussen couldn’t problem for the crew’s first podium, however his tenth-place end earned Haas one other hard-fought level within the standings.

Nevertheless, contemplate this. A season in the past Haas completed behind Aston Martin within the standings, with Aston Martin on 55 factors and Haas on 37. Now? Aston Martin is in second, having vaulted effectively forward of Haas and different midfield groups.

Now Magnussen is hoping that Haas can create their very own leap up the desk.

“We knew we had been going to take a step with the automobile this 12 months and we had been assured about that and it exhibits on the monitor,” stated Magnussen to RaceFans. “We do have that efficiency that we had been hoping for. Different groups have simply achieved a very good job, too. So we’re nonetheless in that blend of the midfield. After all, we’d like to be in direction of the highest, taking a giant step like Aston Martin. However that’s what we’ve bought to goal to do sooner or later.”

Talking of Aston Martin … 33 quickly? And might they strain Pink Bull?

Following the end in Miami, the place Fernando Alonso notched his fourth podium in 5 races, the veteran driver had this to say trackside: “I believe at first of the 12 months a podium was superb. Now after 4 podiums we wish clearly extra and a minimum of a second place. However, , the 2 Pink Bulls they’re at all times unbreakable and they’re at all times super-fast. However as I stated, possibly Monaco, possibly Barcelona we now have a chance.”

Then within the formal post-race press convention, Alonso elaborated.

“Clearly, we wish to step on step greater on the rostrum for P2 and ultimately at some point we now have a chance to win a race – however in the meanwhile it didn’t occur as a result of Pink Bull is healthier than us. It’s stronger, it’s sooner and the reliability has been at all times excellent for them as effectively, ending each vehicles in each race. So, yeah, if at some point there’s a crack there, if there is a chance, we want to verify we’re in that place and we’re nonetheless not making errors at any level within the weekend,” he stated in Miami. “I believe in Imola it’s going to be an attention-grabbing combat once more. As you stated, numerous groups will deliver upgrades to the automobile. Mercedes, most likely Ferrari as effectively and we are going to attempt to maintain ending in entrance of them on Sunday.”

Alonso appears to be eying the upcoming triple-header as an opportunity for Aston Martin to make some strikes, and maybe transfer up the rostrum. In the event that they pull that off, it would simply begin to put some strain on Pink Bull on the entrance of the sphere.

Can a crew — or groups — discover the appropriate upgrades in time?

Photograph by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photos

As famous by Alonso, the opposite groups on the grid proper now are in search of the appropriate arrange upgrades to push them up the sphere, and nearer to the pair of RB19s on the entrance.

In line with one report, Aston Martin is a kind of groups, trying to deliver their first massive improve package deal to Imola this week. Following the Australian Grand Prix, Workforce Principal Mike Krack famous that Aston Martin deliberate upgrades for upcoming races, together with Imola. “The largest enhancements will come later within the 12 months. We’ll have some new components in Baku, Imola, Montréal, and a few at Silverstone however we’ll deliver every small increment as quickly because it’s prepared, quite than ready to bundle every part up into massive packages,” stated Krack after the Australian GP. “It’s an method that labored effectively for us final 12 months with the AMR22.”

After all, they don’t seem to be the one crew eying enhancements. Mercedes has been struggling to search out the appropriate setup for the W14 all season lengthy, with each George Russell and Lewis Hamilton battling their challenger all through the younger marketing campaign. Whereas their efficiency to this point is a large enchancment from the porpoising points the Silver Arrows endured a season in the past, they’re nonetheless making an attempt to ship the required upgrades.

“We have to handle our personal expectations, as a result of we’re bringing an replace package deal that’s going to consist of recent suspension components, bodywork and another issues,” Mercedes crew boss Toto Wolff stated after the Miami Grand Prix.

Nevertheless, whereas Hamilton is hoping for a “one-second improve,” Wolff cautioned that there aren’t any fast fixes in F1.

“However I’ve by no means in my 15 years in F1 seen a silver bullet being launched, the place all of the sudden you unlock half a second of efficiency,” added the Mercedes Workforce Principal. “So, I very a lot doubt that that is going to occur right here.”

Then there’s McLaren. When SB Nation spoke solely with Lando Norris forward of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the driving force outlined how Baku and Miami had been going to be the beginning of their upgrades.

“We’ve bought a pair new bits on the automobile which is sweet, the crew’s achieved an excellent job to get them for now. However I believe these are the issues I believe we stated we must always have began the season with. However we’ve bought them now, which I believe is the primary factor,” stated Norris forward of Azerbaijan. “They need to undoubtedly transfer the automobile ahead. It’s not possibly one of the best monitor to indicate that, and to show that precisely. It’s a bit extra biased, and the locations it’ll assist enhance the automobile possibly aren’t proven that a lot on this monitor, possibly a little bit bit extra in Miami. It’s undoubtedly going to be a step ahead, undoubtedly going to be some issues to assist the automobile give me some extra confidence and Oscar too.”

Workforce Principal Andrea Stella stated that minor upgrades can be coming to the MCL60 for Imola, with the subsequent massive set of enhancements arriving forward of the summer time break. “There can be small developments at Imola,” shelp Stella final week to Crash.internet. “However solely minor ones in comparison with the step we have to take to be constantly within the factors, which is our aim.”

As for Ferrari, the Scuderia introduced a brand new flooring to Miami, however Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc complained of inconsistency from the SF-23. The crew is planning on some minor upgrades for Imola, however they did discover a silver lining of their efficiency in Miami, and particularly Leclerc’s crash close to the tip of Q3.

Jock Clear, Ferrari’s Senior Efficiency Engineer and the driving force coach for Leclerc, noticed an enormous constructive in Leclerc’s crash. “We noticed Charles backside out on the kerb in flip six. In that state of affairs, the automobile can be very tough,” stated Clear. “However as I say, I believe fairly mockingly it’s a testomony to what we’ve achieved to enhance the automobile by the high-speed that Charles felt he might go for it on that final lap in qualifying and simply pushed too far.”

The last word query: Can anybody catch the Bulls?

The last word storyline this F1 season this season is an easy query.

Can anybody catch Pink Bull?

Proper now, that appears unlikely. Verstappen and Pérez have pushed Pink Bull to the highest of the Constructor’s standings, a full 122 factors clear of Aston Martin. Verstappen leads his teammates 119 to 105 within the Drivers’ standings, and the duo are the one drivers to succeed in triple digits thus far this season, as Alonso sits third with 75 factors on the 12 months.

Can any of the groups put strain on Pink Bull, or are they already crusing to a different title?