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

The Components 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 through the COVID-shortened 2020 season, initially supposed to be a stop-gap substitute for that season. Nonetheless, as extra 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 no less than the 2025 season.

Lewis Hamilton gained the inaugural Emilia Romagna Grand Prix again in 2020, however since then it has been — and cease me if in case you have heard this earlier than — an all-Pink Bull affair. Max Verstappen has gained probably 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 below are the six greatest storylines to comply with as F1 heads to Italy.

The way forward for Nyck de Vries

Picture by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Photographs

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

AlphaTauri rookie Nyck de Vries has struggled via 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 observe in Baku within the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

His current struggles have led to hypothesis that he could possibly be changed this season if his type doesn’t enhance. One report famous that Daniel Ricciardo could possibly be given the possibility to slip into his seat if de Vries couldn’t proper the ship, and whereas these stories 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 important job, is just too massive. To make use of footballer jargon, Nick obtained the yellow card, however not the crimson 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 response to Guillaume Dezoteux, the staff’s Head of Car Efficiency, the AT04 will see some upgrades this week, together with a brand new flooring. “We’re wanting ahead to introduction,” stated Dezoteux to Motorsport. “It is a crucial step, it’s a massive step, so we hope it’s going to meet expectations. There may be at all times a query mark over the standard of correlation. However thus far, the updates now we have finished meet expectations.”

Whether or not these updates carry aid for de Vries, nonetheless, is a distinct 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 following few weeks will make life troublesome 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 essential.

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?

Picture by Dan Istitene – Components 1/Components 1 by way of Getty Photographs

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 staff has success, 31 groups look to emulate their progress — it’s no shock to see different lower-level groups seeking to manufacture an Aston Martin-style leap of their very own.

As soon as such staff? Haas.

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

Nonetheless, take into account 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 automotive this 12 months and we had been assured about that and it exhibits on the observe,” stated Magnussen to RaceFans. “We do have that efficiency that we had been hoping for. Different groups have simply finished a very good job, too. So we’re nonetheless in that blend of the midfield. In fact, we’d like to be in direction of the highest, taking an enormous step like Aston Martin. However that’s what we’ve obtained to purpose to do sooner or later.”

Talking of Aston Martin … 33 quickly? And may they stress 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 firstly of the 12 months a podium was superb. Now after 4 podiums we would like clearly extra and no less than a second place. However, you realize, the 2 Pink Bulls they’re at all times unbreakable and they’re at all times super-fast. However as I stated, perhaps Monaco, perhaps Barcelona now we have a chance.”

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

“Clearly, we wish to step on step larger on the rostrum for P2 and ultimately sooner or later now we have a chance to win a race – however for the time being it didn’t occur as a result of Pink Bull is best than us. It’s stronger, it’s sooner and the reliability has been at all times excellent for them as effectively, ending each automobiles in each race. So, yeah, if sooner or later 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 fascinating combat once more. As you stated, quite a lot of groups will carry upgrades to the automotive. Mercedes, most likely Ferrari as effectively and we are going to attempt to preserve 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 stress on Pink Bull on the entrance of the sector.

Can a staff — or groups — discover the fitting upgrades in time?

Picture by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Photographs

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

In response to one report, Aston Martin is a type of groups, seeking to carry their first massive improve package deal to Imola this week. Following the Australian Grand Prix, Group Principal Mike Krack famous that Aston Martin deliberate upgrades for upcoming races, together with Imola. “The most important 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 carry every small increment as quickly because it’s prepared, relatively than ready to bundle all the pieces 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.”

In fact, they don’t seem to be the one staff eying enhancements. Mercedes has been struggling to search out the fitting 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 so far 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 latest suspension components, bodywork and another issues,” Mercedes staff boss Toto Wolff stated after the Miami Grand Prix.

Nonetheless, 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 a sudden you unlock half a second of efficiency,” added the Mercedes Group 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 obtained a pair new bits on the automotive which is sweet, the staff’s finished 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 obtained them now, which I believe is the principle factor,” stated Norris forward of Azerbaijan. “They need to positively transfer the automotive ahead. It’s not perhaps one of the best observe to indicate that, and to show that precisely. It’s a bit extra biased, and the locations it’ll assist enhance the automotive perhaps aren’t proven that a lot on this observe, perhaps a bit bit extra in Miami. It’s positively going to be a step ahead, positively going to be some issues to assist the automotive give me some extra confidence and Oscar too.”

Group Principal Andrea Stella stated that minor upgrades might be coming to the MCL60 for Imola, with the following massive set of enhancements arriving forward of the summer time break. “There might be small developments at Imola,” ssupport 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 staff 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 top 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 situation, the automotive might be very difficult,” stated Clear. “However as I say, I believe fairly sarcastically it’s a testomony to what we’ve finished to enhance the automotive via 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 stress on Pink Bull, or are they already crusing to a different title?