The starting grid for Sunday’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to take shape during Saturday’s qualifying session at the famed Imola circuit.
Only three drivers in the current Formula 1 lineup own victories at Autodromo Internazional Enzo e Dino Ferrari — more commonly known as Imola — ahead of this year’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in northern Italy. The race returns to the calendar after its cancellation last year due to severe flooding in the region last spring. Qualifying for Sunday’s race takes place on Saturday on the 3.05-mile, counter-clockwise track. Red Bull standout Max Verstappen won the event in 2021 and 2022 while Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes topped the podium in 2020, when Formula 1 returned to Imola after a 14-year absence. The other former winner in the field is Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, victor of the then-San Marino Grand Prix driving for Renault in 2005.
How to Watch Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Qualifying, in Formula 1 Today:
Date: May 18, 2024
Time: 9:55 a.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Live stream qualifying for the Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Fubo: Start your free trial today!
The first racing at Imola came in 1953, three years after its foundation stone was set. Formula 1 debuted there in 1980 and continued through 2006. The track returned to the calendar as a one-off in 2020 and was added again in 2021 when F1 lost the Chinese Grand Prix to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The course’s two main features include speed and the counter-clockwise racing, one of the few circuits in the world that runs against the clock. Nestled between the Tuscan hills to the south, the beaches of the Adriatic Sea to the east and near famed cities such as Bologna, Parma and Modena to the west, Imola remains a fan favorite. Drivers also pay their respects to Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger, both killed in crashes during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.
Verstappen, the three-time depending world champion, comes to Imola leading the driver standings by 33 points over Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc — who swept both of Friday’s practice sessions — stands 38 points back, with Miami winner Lando Norris of McLaren and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz tied for fourth with a 53-point gap.
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