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The second free practice session for the Imola GP threw a few surprises as (for a change) we had a Mercedes at the top of the leaderboard. Yes, you heard that right! George Russell snuck in the fastest lap in the dying stages of the session to top it, something that we have not seen often this season.
So, what did we learn from FP2 for the Imola GP2? Let's find out.
Imola GP FP2: What did we learn?
#1 Hard to choose between Red Bull and Ferrari in the dry
Unlike Australia, where there was a huge gulf between Ferrari and Red Bull, at Imola, it does appear that there's hardly anything to choose between the two teams. Both cars look similarly paced, if not for maybe a tenth or two in favor of Ferrari.
This does mean that the track position is going to be king. While Max Verstappen holds the edge right now, he will be desperate for a good start to keep off the Ferrari.
#2 Keep an eye on Mercedes in the Imola GP
Mercedes was deceptively fast in FP2 for the Imola GP. It does appear that the team might have gambled on a completely dry Saturday and Sunday and developed the car accordingly.
The lap times put together by both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were not only competitive but also in the vicinity of both Red Bull and Ferrari. Did the fuel loads and engine modes have a role to play in this? We'll have to wait for the Imola GP to find out.
#3 McLaren's reliability is worrying
McLaren needs to keep one eye on Red Bull to learn that pace is not everything. Red Bull has lost three podium positions to reliability. McLaren itself lost out on points with Daniel Ricciardo in Saudi Arabia. In FP2 for the Imola GP, both the cars were parked in the garage with reliability issues and only Lando Norris managed to participate in the session.
As a team already suffering from a poor start to the season, that's just not a good sign.
#4 Haas might prefer a few raindrops during the race
The two Haas cars finished outside the top 10 in FP2. This was in line with what happened yesterday as well, where when the track dried out, Haas fell out of contention. As soon as it rained, however, Kevin Magnussen came to life.
The car seems to respond well to wet weather, either due to the setup or car characteristics. The team will be hoping for a few drops of rain to keep its drivers in contention for the Imola Grand Prix.
#5 Fernando Alonso looks strong
In our official preview and predictions, we had singled out Fernando Alonso as the driver that could spring a surprise podium this weekend. The Spaniard starts the sprint in 5th position. He was certainly the best of the rest in the midfield. A podium on Sunday and strong points in the Sprint? Cannot rule that out.
