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The 2024 F1 Imola GP is a race that could define the season. The last race in Miami saw McLaren beat Max Verstappen and Red Bull in a straight fight. The last time something like this happened when the Adrian Newey car did not have setup issues was in 2022.
After the sport has been reeling from a very dominant reign from Red Bull and Max Verstappen, the performance from McLaren came as a ray of hope. The fact that it came after the team brought a mega upgrade package was what turned even more heads.
This weekend, Ferrari is bringing its much-hyped upgrade package. Ferrari itself has won a race this season and has not been too far behind Red Bull as such. What happens this race weekend could either turn the season into a very competitive one or kill all hopes of a potential title battle. So, on a race weekend where even rain is supposed to make an appearance, what can we expect? Let's take a look.
#5 Ferrari can potentially get compromised by the rain
We have seen only one session in the wet weather this season, and it was in China. If there was one key takeaway from that, it was the fact that Ferrari was not that good in that weather.
Of all the teams, Ferrari would be the last team hoping for a rain disruption this weekend. The team is bringing a bucketload of upgrades and wants a dry weekend where they can assess everything. If rain continues to play a role, we might be looking at a scenario where Ferrari is compromised by it.
#4 Haas is a contender for points
The track that supports a decent change of direction and great traction is going to tilt the balance in favor of Haas. The team is currently 7th in the championship but has been a points contender more often than not. With rain also proving to be a factor and Nico Hulkenberg being very impressive in the wet weather, expect Haas to be a contender for points at the F1 Imola GP.
#3 Aston Martin will have a better run this weekend
Aston Martin had a poor weekend in Miami where the car just never hit the sweet spot. Whether it rains or stays dry, the temperatures will be a bit lower than usual this weekend, and that should help the team.
The car has shown an ability to generate temperature quicker in the tires compared to the competition. We could be looking at a scenario where Alonso makes the most of this and has a better F1 Imola GP weekend than what he had in Miami.
#2 We will see a shrunken field at the front
Ferrari is bringing a major upgrade, Red Bull is bringing a decent one, while McLaren is looking to repeat the form it showed in Miami. Slowly but steadily, the top 3 teams have pulled away from Mercedes and Aston Martin. Not only that, what we're looking at is a scenario where the gap between the top 3 is going to be much smaller at the F1 Imola GP.
#1 Lando Norris wins the 2024 F1 Imola GP
With rain expected to be a disruptor and Lando Norris showing breathtaking form in the wet weather in China, McLaren is the dark horse for sure. It becomes even more interesting because the team is coming off a commanding win in Miami.
For the F1 Imola GP, we're going bold and backing McLaren and Lando Norris to replicate the form from Miami to this weekend and win their second race in a row.
