A wild race in Imola

The Formula 1 race at the well-regarded track in Imola, Italy, this past weekend was one for the books. With unforeseen crashes and winners, the race was a testament to how crazy this season truly will be. 

Qualifying was what most audiences and fans expected for this track. Pole, the most favorable position for a car to start the race, went to Red Bull racer Max Verstappen, with Charles Leclerc for Ferrari in second, and Sergio Perez in third, also for Red Bull. Red Bull showed speed this weekend that has not been seen in the previous races, so I expected Max Verstappen to place high on the starting grid. 

Ferrari also had a significant amount of pressure on them this weekend with the race being on their home track. This added another level of expectation for the Ferrari racers, making the stakes and expectations exceptionally high. 

The race occurred on a wet track due to rain over the weekend, meaning that racers used intermediate tires this weekend. Intermediate tires are used when the track is wet from rain, but it is not actually raining. Intermediate tires have great grip, making them the safest choice when weather conditions are not great. 

The race started off with a bang with Red Bull immediately scoring a fast pull away, passing the two Ferraris. McLaren also had an amazing start, and Lando Norris was able to pull ahead multiple positions. 

In the first lap, Carlos Sianz (Ferrari) and Daniel Riccardo (McLaren) crashed into each other, causing Carlos Sianz to DNF (Did Not Finish) for the second race in a row—not a great start for Ferrari in their home race. 

Another notable DNF was that of veteran racer Fernando Alonso (Alpine) due to major damages to his car resulting from the crash in the first lap. He returned to the pit lane in lap seven.   

On lap eight, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) was able to pass Lando Norris (McLaren), going back into the pole positions. The top four racers at this time were Max Verstappen (Red Bull) in first place, Sergio Perez (Red Bull) in second place, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) gaining the third place position over Lando Norris (McLaren), who sits in fourth place. 

On lap 20, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and Sergio Perez (Red Bull) both pit to change their wet tires to medium tires. Medium tires are great for the middle of the races—they are not the fastest nor the slowest, and last a decent amount of time. 

On lap 53, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) spun out, crashing into a barrier. He was able to keep the car running, but dropped to fourth place, and sustained some damage to the front wing of the car. This led to Leclerc pitting late in the race, causing him to drop to eighth place. 

The race ended with Max Verstappen (Red Bull) in first, Sergio Perez (Red Bull) in second, and Lando Norris (McLaren) in third. Though I wished for a Ferrari win in Imola, seeing the speed from Red Bull in this race was a look to how future races could be. We had not seen this kind of speed from Red Bull in the previous races due to engine problems. Now it is clear that Ferrari will have a true rival from not only Red Bull but also McLaren, who had one of their best races this weekend.