Formula 1 heads to the legendary Imola circuit this week for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, marking the start of a three-race European stretch that could prove decisive in the championship battle.
Following his fourth victory in the season`s first six races in Miami, Oscar Piastri holds a 16-point lead over his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. Red Bull`s Max Verstappen is 32 points behind the Australian, while George Russell of Mercedes is 38 points adrift.
McLaren displayed exceptional race pace in Miami, winning by over thirty seconds. Should this performance level continue, the Drivers` Championship could soon become a contest primarily between their two drivers.
However, several key factors and upcoming technical changes could reshuffle the grid in the coming weeks. The Imola event is immediately followed by the Monaco Grand Prix (May 23-25) and the Spanish Grand Prix (May 30-June 1).
Significant Upgrades Expected at Imola
Given the weekend break since the Miami Grand Prix and the logistical ease of transporting new components to European circuits, nearly every team is anticipated to introduce car upgrades at Imola.
Teams typically avoid bringing major updates to Monaco due to the circuit`s unique nature and higher risk of accidents, making Imola a prime target for development planned months in advance.
Ferrari previously updated their floor in Bahrain in April, and Verstappen used a revised floor in Miami. Neither of these changes seemed to significantly close the gap to McLaren.
According to Christian Horner of Red Bull, their new floor is part of a phased upgrade package rolled out over several races. He stated that there isn`t one massive update for Imola, but rather incremental improvements, which is typical at this stage of the regulations.
“We`ve been dissatisfied with performance at certain races this year, but we`ve still managed to secure results,” Horner commented. “We are the only team besides McLaren to have won a race this year, and we`ve also taken pole positions. We are working diligently to improve the car.”
He emphasized the long nature of the championship, calling it a marathon, and suggested that based on last year`s experience, fortunes can change rapidly. He believes any driver in the top six could potentially contend for the title.
McLaren has been reserved about their specific development plans. However, with their car showing no obvious weaknesses, they aim to be cautious to avoid steering development in the wrong direction, a pitfall Red Bull encountered last year.
One area McLaren is focusing on is modifying the car to enhance Lando Norris`s comfort level. Norris has admitted feeling “less confident” this season compared to the end of last year, though he showed improved pace relative to Piastri in the final phase in Miami.
McLaren`s team principal Andrea Stella mentioned that the team is working to make the car easier to drive, especially in qualifying, which would benefit both drivers. He confirmed this is a problem the team can engineer solutions for through testing and new parts.
Mercedes also plans to introduce substantial upgrades in Imola to address their performance gap to McLaren, particularly concerning tire degradation.
Toto Wolff noted, “The team has worked hard… and we will bring several updates over the next races. However, F1 is relative, and we know our rivals will improve too. It will be interesting to see the outcome on track.”
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur confirmed “some small upgrades” for Imola. This will be the first time Lewis Hamilton races in front of the Tifosi as a future Ferrari driver.
The new parts introduced over the upcoming month are crucial because teams will soon shift their complete focus to the significant regulation changes for the 2026 cars. From the latter half of the season, drivers will likely have to maximize performance with their existing car package, making this current development battle pivotal.
New Strategy Rules for Monaco`s “Crown Jewel”
Immediately after Imola, F1 heads to Monaco, where a new pit stop rule aims to revitalize the notoriously processional race.
In February, F1 announced that drivers will be required to make a minimum of two pit stops during the 78 laps around the Principality. This rule targets the lack of overtaking, a persistent issue at Monaco due to the tight layout and larger cars, which has often led to predictable races. Last year, the top 10 finishers were largely in the same order as they started, with an early red flag neutralizing strategic opportunities.
These new strategy rules could potentially lead to errors on the pit wall. Questions arise: Will teams gamble on early stops for a `cheaper` stop under a Safety Car? Will some drivers perform both mandatory stops early? Will others wait until the final 20 laps? It promises to be a strategists` balancing act.
Last year`s winner Charles Leclerc believes the rule “will definitely help the Sunday… The excitement on Sunday is maybe a bit less than what you will hope. The Saturday is incredible but the Sunday maybe needs a little bit of spice and hopefully this will give it.”
With two pit stops, drivers will likely push harder rather than managing tires at a reduced pace knowing they can`t be overtaken. This could lead to more intense racing and potential mistakes on the unforgiving street circuit.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen, a Monaco winner in 2021, highlighted the intense concentration required. “The focus you need to have is so much higher than any other track because it’s so narrow,” he said. Unlike other street circuits with more space or run-off, Monaco offers none.
“A little lock up or mistake, you turn a little bit too early and you`re in the wall,” Verstappen explained. He added that while not always driving at the absolute limit in the race, relaxing is dangerous, requiring constant mental effort to maintain focus.
Controversial Flexi-Wing Clampdown Coming in Spain
No F1 season is complete without a technical controversy.
Following discussions last season about flexible bodywork, particularly regarding rear wings flexing at high speed (sometimes dubbed `mini-DRS`), the FIA announced new load tests for wings. While new deflection limits for rear wings were introduced earlier, new tests focusing specifically on front-wing flexing will be implemented at the Spanish Grand Prix at the end of May.
Footage from several races this year has appeared to show front wings on various cars visibly bending on straights, potentially increasing straight-line speed, before becoming rigid again for corners to maximize downforce. Flexible bodywork is explicitly against F1 regulations.
Marcus Prine