2022 Imola GP Sprint Qualifying Predictions

The Imola GP's Friday qualifying is now out of the way. Max Verstappen has clinched his first pole position of the season while Charles Leclerc will be starting alongside him. There were quite a few casualties with Sainz crashing out, Mercedes not even making Q3, or Esteban Ocon, who inherited the bad luck that plagued his teammate until now this season.

Having said that, it's time to get to the fun part. It's time to jump off the fence and make our predictions for the Imola GP Sprint Qualifying.

Writer's note: These predictions are made keeping in mind the weather prediction of a sunny Saturday (If it rains, throw out these predictions and just have fun)

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Imola GP Sprint Qualifying Predictions

Prediction #1: It's going to be a dry and "boring" sprint

Yes, you heard it right. Imola is not conducive to wheel-to-wheel action. The track is narrow and does not have too many overtaking spots. Having said that, things do get interesting when there is rain, a pitstop, or a tire variance. Sadly, in a sprint, neither of those factors are available.

Hence, buckle up people! You've had your share of fun today.

Prediction #2: Watch out for Max Verstappen vs Charles Leclerc at the start of the Imola GP sprint race

The layout at Imola is not conducive to far too many overtakes, and more often than not, if you maintain a certain sensibility while driving, you can defend ably. This is what is going to make the start of the Sprint the most important part of the race. There is a very high probability that the driver that leads off the line is more or less going to have the upper hand and will win the sprint.

The start is going to be crucial and if there is one part of the race that is going to have unparalleled intensity, then it is this.

Prediction #3: Mercedes is not going to make much of an impression in the Imola GP

For the German team, some of the cold hard facts were laid bare in Friday's qualifying. Whatever is left will be taken care of by the rest of the Imola GP weekend. George Russell starts the Imola GP sprint from P11 while Lewis Hamilton starts the race in P13. In essence, the car has shown a tendency to be a significantly better piece of machinery in the race.

The Imola GP, however, is not a race where you mess up your qualifying. Mercedes is porpoising on the straights like crazy, and if you don't have straight-line speed, where are you planning to make your overtakes then? Especially in a race with no mandatory pitstops, expect maybe a place or two gained by both drivers but nothing more than that.

Prediction #4: Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz are going to surge through the field

We might have mentioned several times now that Imola is not a track that is conducive to overtaking. When you have a Ferrari or a Red Bull at your disposal, however, you have a chance – especially with the DRS at the long pit straight. Both Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez are starting lower down the order because of their own mistakes. That, however, does not mean that either of the drivers lacked the speed to compete at the front.

During the sprint race, expect both the drivers to surge through the field.

Prediction #5: Sebastian Vettel might not have a good sprint!

If it was a wet/mixed conditions race, Sebastian Vettel scoring the team's first points of the season would not have been such a wild thought. The sprint, however, is going to be sunny with no expectations of rain making an appearance.

The Aston Martin is fundamentally not a good car. While Vettel could mask it a bit in mixed conditions, it will be hard for him to keep a hold of his position in the dry.