Formula 1 fans love the rain and there’s a compelling reason for that. Wet conditions pose a unique challenge to drivers and teams. The unpredictable nature of the track means fans get to witness some incredible action and drama. And yesterday’s qualifying session at Imola GP turned out to be exactly that.
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As we move into the first sprint race of the 2022 season on Saturday, fans are expecting another rainy day. Unfortunately, the rain gods opted for blue skies on Saturday, according to reports.
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The FP1 session earlier on Friday also witnessed a wet track as drivers struggled for grip. Leclerc had his share of moments on the wet track where he spun, as did Lando Norris, Esteban Ocon and Kevin Magnussen. Additionally, the qualifying session saw several red flag incidents due to wet conditions.
Blue skies expected for Saturday’s sprint race
The sprint will take place after Free Practice 2. Teams can expect the track to be dry for the 100KM race. According to reports, the temperature should be around 21 degrees and the chance of rain is only 5%.
This will certainly delight the Red Bull camp as Max Verstappen starts on pole after an impressive lap in yesterday’s qualifying. He is followed by Charles Leclerc, who started the season with a bang. The front-row battle between the two will no doubt be gripping.
This season’s sprint race also sees minor adjustments to the points system. Points will be awarded to the top eight drivers, with the driver in P1 getting 8 points, the driver in P2 getting 7, and so on. So teams have more to play for on Saturday as they will be looking to rack up important points.
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Rain also played an important role in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix last year. Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton to win the Grand Prix. And the Dutchman hopes to do the same this week.
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Fans will also remember the Imola 2021 race for the crash between current Mercedes driver George Russell and former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas. It heated things up between Bottas, who was aiming to keep his seat while Russell was ready to snatch the seat from the Finn.
With the weather expected to be dry for Saturday’s sprint race, will Max Verstappen take first place today? Leave your predictions in the comments.
