The Faenza team leaves the event quite satisfied GP home of Emilia-Romagna disputed from 17 to 19 May at the Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack in Imola. One year after the flood that caused the cancellation of the GP, Formula 1 is back more charged than ever Santerno route recording 200,000 visitors. The winner was the usual one Max Verstappen (Red Bull) ahead of Lando Norris (McLaren) e Charles Leclerc (Ferrari). The writer is not a fan of comparisons between statistics, especially in Formula 1 where significant technical and regulatory changes have occurred between the eras. However, Verstappen has equaled the number of 8 consecutive pole positions in a season. Record that belongs to the racing wizard Ayrton Senna widely celebrated on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of his death.
Visa Cash App RB he demonstrated that he was on the ball on the Imola track since free practice, subsequently recording the presence of both drivers in Q3 (Tsunoda 7th and Ricciardo 9th). An objective that had not been achieved since the 2022 Singapore GP. In the race the VCARB01 shone less than expected and only the Japanese scored points, finishing tenth, one lap behind the pacesetter.
“At the end of the day, I’m happy to have obtained a point in front of the home crowd and the people who rushed from the factory” – declared Tsunoda at the end of the race, going into detail – “I think the start slightly compromised our race, because we lost a couple of positions compared to Nico Hulkenberg. We knew he was fast on the straights, so we didn’t want to end up behind him, which is why we returned to the pits before Nico to change tyres. It was the crucial moment of the race and I think we managed the strategy well by responding correctly to the moves of Haas and Nico. We had to do a long second stint and managing the hard tire in the last 15 laps was challenging, but we did it.”
Tsunoda highlighted the aspect on which the team should improve: “The start. We are working hard to take another step forward and will focus on getting the most out of our package. The next appointment is in Monaco and I can’t wait. We have worked hard and achieved good results and I have no doubt that we will be able to maximize our performance.”
The team principal of Visa Cash App RB Laurent Mekies commented: “Considering that our factory and the Imola Autodrome are only 15 kilometers apart, we knew that the Emilia-Romagna GP would be a special event for us. It was great to have so many factory employees on the track, generating a sort of “blue army” in the VCARB grandstand. Many of our employees were able to enter the paddock thanks to the VIP pass. This was our way of thanking all the workers in Faenza, Bicester and Honda for their hard work which allowed us to achieve excellent results. [] Even if the race in Imola left us a little disappointed, because with a better start from Yuki and Daniel we could have created a different race scenario, a point is still a point. Our qualifying performances demonstrate that the updates we implemented in Miami are certainly helping us to continue fighting for the final 6th position in the championship. This momentum helps us to face Munich in the best possible way. Daniel has stood on the podium no less than four times, including one win, and Yuki is currently in great form, so we will be looking to get another great performance from the whole team.”
The president of Formula Imola, Gian Carlo Minardicommented on the success of GP Made in Italy & Emilia-Romagna: “The brilliant result of this Grand Prix is the result of teamwork that Formula Imola was able to coordinate. I want to publicly thank Ministers and Undersecretaries for their presence and financial support, ACI, which is the promoter of the two Formula 1 events in Italy which supports us and helps us organize this event, Con.Ami and of course the Formula Imola family, which was able to organize three major events one after the other with great professionalism and dedication. I also want to say a few words for this magnificent audience that constitutes the hard core of motor racing who gave us a wonderful celebration of passion, and of course the protagonists who stood on the podium Verstappen, Norris and Leclerc”.
Over the weekend from 24 to 26 May, Formula 1 moves to the Principality of Monaco for the eighth round of the season. The Monegasque track has often seen the Faenza team score points. The best performance remains the fifth place achieved by Sebastian Vettel in 2008 at the wheel of the STR2B – Ferrari in a race that was nothing short of daring.
Monaco GP 2024: TV times on Sky and TV8
Sky live times
Friday 24 May
Free Practice 1: 1.30pm – 2.30pm
Free Practice 2: 5.00pm – 6.00pm
Saturday 25 May
Free Practice 3: 12.30pm – 1.30pm
Qualifying: 16 – 17
Sunday 26 May
Race: 3pm
Deferred TV8 timetables
Saturday 25 May
Qualifying: 6.30pm
Sunday 26 May
Race: 6pm
