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Well, FP1 for the Imola GP is done and dusted. A session that took place on a wet track under gloomy conditions had Ferrari running away with things at the front as the session ended with a 1-2 for the team.
Having said that, let's get to the fun part of the weekend. The part where we sit down and shoot our shots, the part where we make predictions about the qualifying session in front of us.
Predictions for 2022 F1 Imola GP Qualifying
Disappointment of the session (Team)
Well, we might be a bit harsh on the team. After smashing the grid for eight years in a row and having the seven-time world champion in your ranks, however, if the best you can do is the 10th fastest time, then that is a serious cause of concern.
Mercedes did not look good or fast in FP1. Sure, part of it could be due to the turned down engine and a part of it could be the extensive set-up work. Despite that, you cannot be this slow in wet weather conditions. For the Imola GP qualifying, we're picking Mercedes to disappoint as the team does not look close to being even the 3rd fastest car on the grid at the moment.
Disappointment of the session (Driver)
It's hard to go after you when you're driving a Williams. Nicholas Latifi and his barrage of crashes, however, have now started catching the eye of fans with Nikita Mazepin not on the grid anymore. Having said that, the Canadian driver is right now performing at a level below teammate Alex Albon as well.
For the Imola GP qualifying, expect Latifi to disappoint once again (hope he doesn't crash the Williams this time around).
Surprise of the session (Driver)
Sebastian Vettel does get picked on by the fans and the media as well because of the situation he finds himself in at Aston Martin. This torrential weather, however, might just be the boon the German might be looking for.
Vettel looked completely out of sorts at the start of the Imola GP FP1 session. As soon as he got into the rhythm and put on the intermediate tires, however, he was a transformed driver. He then drove at a pace that his young teammate just could not keep up with. If conditions remain similar, watch out for the German at Friday's qualifying of the German GP.
Surprise of the session (Team)
Haas may have turned the corner once again this weekend. The car looks much better and additionally, Kevin Magnussen looks supreme in that car. At the moment, in the conditions that we saw in FP1, it was a toss-up between Haas and Alfa Romeo over who is the third-fastest car on the grid.
During the Imola GP qualifying, watch out for Haas, especially the Danish driver!
Top 3 in qualifying
This one is arguably one of the easier picks in light of the last couple of races. Ferrari looks like it is in a league of its own on the intermediate tires. Both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc looked fantastic on track throughout FP1 and hence, it's not too hard a pick to make.
For the top 3, we have the two Ferraris occupying the front row while the Red Bull of Max Verstappen is in 3rd. Who will be on pole position, you ask? Will it be the "Smooth Operator"? Or will it be the championship leader? We're going with the latter as Leclerc is our pick for the pole position for the Imola GP sprint race.
