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The primary dash race weekend of the 2022 season was additionally the primary the place the intermediate and moist tyres have been known as into motion.
However as Components 1 returned to Imola for the third consecutive 12 months, RaceFans’ paddock reporter Claire Cottingham bought her first style of the northern Italian circuit. It will show a weekend of exuberant crowds, automobile park quagmires and a few fascinating insights into the drivers and groups…
Thursday
After skipping the Australian Grand Prix, I used to be eager to get again in to the paddock, notably after the unpleasant events of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. The place higher than Imola, a circuit I had by no means visited earlier than?
The venue has been again on F1 calendar since 2020, when the world was nonetheless making an attempt to regain management as Covid-19 swept by nation after nation with devastating impacts, and F1 instantly wanted to switch far-flung occasions with ones nearer to residence. Fortunately, the followers have been again this weekend, and there are few finer spectacles in motorsport than the Italian grandstands when Ferrari are again on high. With Charles Leclerc main the standings heading into the weekend, that was very a lot the case.
Having flown in late on Wednesday night, I arrived on the observe on Thursday to make the most of any media alternatives. Not solely have been Ferrari, Haas and Aston Martin making their drivers accessible, however RaceFans had secured an unique chat with Pierre Gasly.
Grinning cheerily, dressed from head to toe in AlphaTauri’s vogue line, Pierre ordered a cappuccino earlier than joking to his Italian press officer Fabiana Valenti that he knew he’d be chucked in another country for daring to have a cappuccino any time after midday.
Pierre spoke overtly and candidly about his time at Pink Bull’s senior group, which lasted simply half a season earlier than he was despatched again to their junior squad. We briefly touched on his relationship along with his buddy Anthoine Hubert, who died in 2019 throughout a Components 2 race at Spa.
Pierre mentioned a heat goodbye as I left to interview the Haas drivers. As I left the observe, heavy rain started to fall, which might have an important bearing on the subsequent day. Our interview will probably be revealed in full later this week.
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Friday
A deluge of in a single day rain made the drive into the circuit furry to say the least. Arriving on the observe prepared for first observe, the media automobile park was already a mud pit. I realised this might pose an issue in a while, however determined that was a difficulty for Future Claire to take care of.
I proceeded into the circuit for the primary session of the dash weekend format after a prolonged press convention within the morning. Many drivers addressed the brand new weekend schedule applied by the FIA because the begin of the season, which has seen Thursday’s media day shifted and compacted into smaller time slot on Friday morning.
To not put too positive some extent on it, lots of them aren’t followers. Max Verstappen was notably vocal, stating that drivers spend numerous time repeatedly answering the identical questions for the advantage of tv cameras, and suggesting F1 ought to undertake the instance of different sports activities which group broadcast press conferences collectively.
Having by no means visited Imola, I wasn’t conscious of the deal with I used to be in for because the press room overlooks the start-finish straight with a balcony sitting above the pits. Watching the vehicles thunder previous me even made me neglect in regards to the rain, and my pleasure was brewing for our first dash race of the season with that night’s qualifying session producing 5 crimson flags.
The rain lastly stopped, nonetheless the automobile park was a quagmire. Driving a Fiat Panda, I had no probability of constructing it out, however by no means the one to be defeated I tried my nice escape. I made it round two yards earlier than I turned caught within the mud. Regardless of the perfect efforts of the type Ferrari crew who tried to push the automobile out, I used to be ultimately towed out by a tractor, chuckling to myself on the ridiculousness of the state of affairs.
Saturday
Basking within the sunshine that greeted us on Saturday, I opted to go trackside for second observe, strolling by the hoards of Ferrari followers able to cheer on Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr.
I paused briefly to have a look at the Ayrton Senna flags hung up on the fence near the positioning of his tragic accident, and a statue in homage to the good driver. I made my solution to the Variante Tamburello, earlier than strolling in direction of Variante Villeneuve earlier than settling at Curva Tosa. Cheers continued for Ferrari, because the observe session bought underway forward of the race.
The solar continued to shine after lunch, and I bought my first style of an F1 grid in 2022, a second I at all times cherish. The group roared as the 2 Ferraris arrived onto the observe, and the crimson flares started to fill the air. Comparatively quieter than common, I used to be ready to have a look at the vehicles up shut on my first grid outing of the season.
After the race, interviews bought underway once more with the moist climate holding off, nonetheless after dinner I used to be met with a monsoon of rain as I headed again to my resort, sodden as soon as once more.
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Sunday
I awoke in a panic considering I had missed the race – it was actually 8:30am. The site visitors was clear on the best way in, although the automobile park nonetheless remained a mud skating rink.
Sunday at grand prix weekends are a mixture of investigating and socialising to attempt to gather the ultimate titbits of data forward of the race. I arrived on the circuit with a tray of Italian biscuits that had been left in my resort room by the employees. Perplexed however touched at what I might do with an enormous tray of biscuits, I knew they’d be appreciated within the press room.
The grid forward of the race was packed. I stationed myself first at Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton stayed on the grid longer than common. He normally hops out of the automobile and is gone in a flash. This time he stopped and talked to engineers earlier than making his exit.
Charles Leclerc, nonetheless, basked within the crowd’s vitality, waving frantically on the Tifosi who cheered adoringly again. However the race didn’t fairly work out for Ferrari, with Pink Bull remaining firmly on high on the chequered flag.
The post-race interviews started earlier than the race was even over, with a luckless however resolute Fernando Alonso. The day led to dialog with a a lot happier Christian Horner, who was glowing within the glory of a near-perfect lead to his high rivals’ yard.
With that, the weekend was over, with just one pizza consumed, however a extreme lack of Aperol Spritz.
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2022 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix
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