Imola is hosting the first edition of the F1 Sprint in 2022, with Max Verstappen hitting back after a poor start to once again pass Championship leader Charles Leclerc and come out on top in a thrilling 21-lap event. We take a look at who won the most positions – and therefore grid places – ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix of Emilia Romagna…
READ MORE: Verstappen snatches P1 from Leclerc in thrilling Imola sprint
Verstappen was at a loss to explain why he suffered so much wheel spin at the start, allowing Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to get past him to the front of the F1 sprint. And while falling behind in the early stages, the reigning world champion reduced the gap as Leclerc struggled with his tires before using DRS to slip past the Ferrari and take the lead with two laps to go. That’s eight points in the bag and his first P1 Grand Prix start of the 2022 season.
READ MORE: Verstappen relieved to reach P1 in the sprint after a ‘terrible’ start at Imola
The tifosi roared with excitement as Leclerc took the lead at the start at Turn 1. The Monegasque managed the safety car restart with ease before edging out of DRS range with a flurry of fastest laps. But that meant he lacked tire life in the closing stages, falling into Verstappen’s clutches and falling back to second place – where he’d started. By Sunday he had extended his lead in the championship to 40 points.
READ MORE: ‘If we can fix it, we can fight for victory’ – Leclerc reveals key fight after losing Imola Sprint to Verstappen
Sergio Perez was one of the biggest climbers on Saturday afternoon in Imola. The Mexican made up for a disappointing qualifying session, moving up four places to finish third in the F1 sprint. That means he will start third in the Grand Prix for the second straight race and give Red Bull the strategic advantage for Sunday should he hold Carlos Sainz in check at the start.
FACTS AND STATISTICS: Ferrari secures a front row seat at Imola for the first time since 2006
Sainz was furious with himself on Friday night after making a mistake in qualifying that earned him a poor 10th place start for the sprint. But he kept his cool to put in an impressive damage control run in the 21-lap race, passing six cars – most of them all – to finish fourth and secure a second row start for Sunday.
It was a case of mixed feelings for Lando Norris after he finished fifth, two spots off where he started. The Brit completed just a handful of laps in FP2 earlier in the day after encountering a braking problem and while he didn’t experience any such issues in the sprint, he was unable to keep Perez and Sainz behind. However, considering McLaren’s struggles earlier in the year, Norris conceded that finishing fifth was a step up.
Daniel Ricciardo was one of two drivers not to race in FP2 but the team did a great job sorting the Australian for the F1 sprint. His escape was strong – and he could have finished fourth but got sandwiched between Perez and Kevin Magnussen and fell back. He lost places to Perez and Sainz but finished ahead of Alonso and Magnussen, finishing where he started.
READ MORE: “We’ll be a faster car tomorrow” – Ricciardo optimistic about McLaren’s chances after Imola sprint
Like Ricciardo, Valtteri Bottas did not start in FP2, the Finn sitting on the bench while his Alfa Romeo team swapped chassis. But the car was incredibly quick in the race and after a poor start he fought his way back through the field to score a few points and secure seventh on the grid, one place higher than when he started.
Kevin Magnussen was the only rider in the top 10 to start on the medium tires and the Dane later admitted he was shocked to see everyone around him on the soft tyres. After emerging unscathed from his contact with Ricciardo on Lap 1, he fought bravely and while the Haas rider eventually slipped down the order to eventually lose four places – only one rider lost more – he held onto eighth place , who brought the last points position.
Fernando Alonso felt like a trip around the world from the highlights of qualifying on Saturday, the two-time world champion dropping two places at the start. He dropped another place and dropped to eighth before conceding the final point to Bottas with five laps to go and crossing the finish line in ninth.
HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the action from the sprint as Verstappen trumps Leclerc at Imola
Mick Schumacher was one of two riders in the top 12 to start on the medium tire – his teammate Magnussen the other. The German showed a strong pace and moved up two places. The Haas driver prevailed in an exciting battle with mentor Sebastian Vettel and finished tenth – which, by the way, will be a career high start for the Grand Prix.
It was an unspectacular afternoon for George Russell who, like Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, lacked the performance, particularly on the straights, to progress and finished the 21-lap event where he started.
Yuki Tsunoda put an end to a frustrating qualifying session with an electric start that saw him move up three places. He won another before the event was over, putting him on the edge of the top 10 and within firing range of points at the team’s home race on Sunday.
Sebastian Vettel had been hoping to convert his first top-10 qualifying performance of 2022 into his first points of the season in the F1 sprint, but while the German defended strongly in the opening laps, he tumbled down the order as compatriot Schumacher came by and he landed four places lower than when he started.
Lewis Hamilton cut a dejected figure after the F1 sprint after the seven-time world champion finished the afternoon a place worse than when he started. He admitted he simply couldn’t have done more as his Mercedes team expected an equally difficult time in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
READ MORE: ‘There’s nothing I can do’ – Hamilton despairs after losing position in Imola sprint
Lance Stroll did his best to put pressure on Hamilton but couldn’t find a way past the Mercedes on a largely uneventful afternoon for the Aston Martin driver.
READ MORE: Vettel keeps ‘team spirit unbroken’ despite Aston Martin’s pointless start to 2022
Esteban Ocon’s hard work was done on the first lap, the Frenchman moving up a position en route to Turn 1 and then two places when Pierre Gasly and Zhou Guanyu collided. He will start Sunday’s race from the 16th.
A collision with Zhou on the first lap dashed Pierre Gasly’s hopes of a strong result. The AlphaTauri driver returned to the pits for fresh tires and a new nose – and while he picked off the two Williams with ease, 17th – where he started – was the best he could achieve.
WATCH: Zhou falls at start of sprint in Emilia Romagna
Alex Albon made up a few places on Saturday afternoon but Williams struggled with the soft rubber tires and didn’t have the pace to make further progress. As he pushed harder, he hurt the tires and it became what he described as a “vicious cycle.”
READ MORE: Alex Albon’s long road back to F1 – and why he thinks Williams has what it takes to improve
Nicholas Latifi’s struggles with the new-for-2022 cars continued in the F1 sprint, the Canadian simply lacking the pace to keep up and he finished a low 19th, one spot off his grid spot.
Zhou Guanyu had the worst afternoon of all in the F1 sprint, the Chinese driver was tagged by Gasly as they went side-by-side through Turn 9 and ended up in the wall. The impact caused significant damage, meaning a long night for his Alfa Romeo mechanics.
Sprint Highlights: Emilia Romagna Grand Prix