“This means that we could see the track evolve slightly less than on other circuits, as it is already well rubberized from the start: last month the first round of the GT World Challenge, for which Pirelli is the exclusive supplier, was held at Imola, which gave us the chance to gather some useful data. These are just some of the factors that the teams will have to take into account when choosing the tyres for the first Sprint race of the year.”
Verstappen and Leclerc will be expected to be challenging at the front once again with the Dutchman hoping Red Bull’s reliability issues are behind them. The reigning F1 world champion has only finished one race so far with that coming in Saudi Arabia where he won.
Leclerc holds a healthy lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship having won the other two races. And there will be some expectation in Italy for Ferrari to stand atop the podium in their first of two home races this season.
