VERSTAPPEN AND RUSSELL EARN FULL MARKS AT IMOLA
While the world champion romped to a dominant win – and his Ferrari rivals dropped the ball big-time – the Mercedes driver defied his car’s limitations
Started 14th Result 13th Only squeaked into Q2, where he was 13th and 0.4s slower than Russell. Squeezed out on the opening sprint lap numerous times to shed three places before recovering to 14th. Undercut and DRS train hurt his GP. A new team-mate is doing things with a bad car that Hamilton can’t yet match.
Started 6th Result
An offbeat run plan meant he only had time for one conservative Q3 lap, 0.6s slower than an imperfect Norris effort. Realised the error in his claims – was not hit from behind when he slid into Sainz in the GP. He took too much kerb and damaged his car to tee up a glorified test session. Started 11th Result 4th 10
Top marks because he earned a result the W13 didn’t deserve. Tyre heating troubles and lack of downforce meant he missed Q3, but again had measure of Hamilton. Endured a quiet sprint to finish where he started in 11th. Brilliant first GP lap preceded holding off a racy Bottas.
Started 5th Result 3rd Two consecutive flying laps in Q3 meant he didn’t have full battery assistance for either, so slipped behind Leclerc but still recorded a mega third. Misses full marks for causing a red flag, and asked too much from his softs in the sprint to cede two places. Picked up the scraps expertly in the GP for a fine podium.
Started 1st Result 1st 10
Patient on the throttle in the damp and shrewdly lifted to keep hold of the one Q3 lap he didn’t mess up. Those errors, plus fumbling the clutch at the start of the sprint, don’t quite cost a perfect score since he reeled in and passed Leclerc late on to win. Then he bossed the GP.
Started 9th Result R Picked straight up from Australia with blistering one-lap pace to snare fifth in Q3. Too much wheelspin at the sprint start and tyre degradation sent him backwards to ninth. In the GP, was innocent when collected by Schumacher. That damaged his floor and triggered terminal sidepod rupture.
Started Result 2nd Lost the rear to run off at Acque Minerali on his Q3 lap. As such, was 1.8s off Verstappen’s pole time, having already been 0.5s slower in Q1 and Q2. Recovered to third in the sprint thanks to DRS and, in the GP, nipped past Leclerc before matching the Ferrari pace to complete a distant 1-2. Started 16th Result
Q1 was ruined by gearshift issue that left him on the sidelines. Pace never arrived thereafter. From 19th in the sprint, made light work of Latifi at Tamburello, then inherited two spots when Zhou and Gasly crashed. Similarly tepid in the GP, his 5s unsafe release penalty notwithstanding.
Started 2nd Result 6th Banker Q3 lap was 0.8s adrift of Verstappen. Aborted second flier to better prep the tyres, but red flags nixed that so started sprint in second. Nailed launch to lead until overworked tyres lost him GP pole. Fluffed the getaway and was too greedy over kerbs to spin and throw away a podium.
Started Result 12th Can’t access the better scores for ceding 0.25s to Tsunoda on a Q1 lap without an obvious error. Tangled with Zhou in the sprint, although neither was apportioned blame. The resulting safety car prevented a pitstop ruining his Saturday. Was then stuck in a train in the GP.
Started 4th Result R The faster Ferrari in Q2, but made a major error by clipping painted lines at Rivazza and spun into the wall. Went some way to making amends by slipstreaming to fourth in the sprint. Bogged down off the line in the GP to drop into the clutches of Ricciardo. Left room but was hit into retirement.
Started Result 7th Sent out too early on a green track as both Alphatauris struggled to heat their tyres. Q2 was therefore missed by 0.004s.
But still got one over Gasly. Wet-dry pace was then ace as he marched forward in the sprint and GP. Survived a busy start on Sunday to prompt a fine save.
Started 13th Result 8th Seized what’s probably a rare opportunity for points by putting mixed conditions to good use. Earned a first Q3 run of the year, where he landed ninth. His score is hurt by shipping four places in the sprint before managing the tyres wonderfully to disguise a lack of pace in the GP.
Started 8th Result 9th Drops a mark for causing a red flag in quali. But did well to miss the barrier and kept on top of anti-stall to nail a brilliant fourth. Was wrongly put on medium tyres for the sprint and he was powerless in his drop to eighth. Caught out by the undercut on a drying track in the GP to miss a possible fifth.
Started 15th Result 10th Like Vettel, made it count while the Aston seemed far happier in changeable weather. After squeaking into Q2 thanks to late track evolution, locked up on his second hot lap to end Q3 aspirations. No tangible progress in the sprint, but impressively kept Hamilton behind in the GP.
Started 10th Result 17th By our rules, a textbook four. Missed Q3 by
0.7s after running over the grass at Tosa, and score suffers further thanks to mighty benchmark set by Magnussen. Quiet sprint managing mediums worked well enough to tee up a possible point in the GP. But twice he spun unprompted. Started 19th Result 16th 5
Flirting with the phrase ‘annus horribilis’ in 2022 as he struggles to adapt to groundeffects. No confidence or speed in quali to be faster than only Ocon and Albon, who both hit car trouble. Kept it on the road at least in the GP to inherit a few positions and showed decent medium-tyre pace. Started 9 18th Result 11th Team didn’t tell him to flick the right switch to compensate for changing from inters to slicks, which caused fiery Q1 brake failure. Not his fault. More tyre conservation mastery in the GP made most of a wildcard strategy to far exceed the car’s true ranking. Coolly absorbed pressure from Gasly too.
Started 20th Result 15th 6
Was a mighty fourth in Q1, but the Sainz red flag ended Q3 designs. Another slow Alfa launch and some rookie caution on the first lap dropped him two places in the sprint before he and Gasly collided. Repairs forced pitlane start for the GP. Made some decent moves to climb to 15th. Started 7th Result 5th 9
Matched Alfa’s potential over one lap and exceeded expectation in races. Recovered from C42 slow start to win battle with Alonso for seventh in sprint. In GP, might have passed Russell for fourth until last-lap graining, or even scored a podium but for wheelnut pitstop delay.