'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The 2023 F1 Imola GP will be the sport's return to Europe and will kickstart what would be a very important phase of the season.
The first few races of the season have not seen the team bring major upgrades or changes to the car as such. The changes have been minimal and more track specific in nature. The start of the European leg changes things though as from now there will be a bigger emphasis on bringing sizeable upgrades to the car.
Having said that, while the teams will be doing their best to reduce the gap to the front, multiple drivers will be eyeing this race to get the sour taste of Miami out of their mouths. Not every driver had a great race in Miami and there are quite a few who have been sitting on a poor result for a week.
In this feature for the 2023 F1 Imola GP, we will take a look at three drivers that would be desperate to get things back on track this weekend. Who are these drivers? Well, let's take a look.
#1 Nyck de Vries - AlphaTauri
According to Helmut Marko, a yellow card has already been issued to Nyck de Vries. The AlphaTauri driver has not had the best of start to the 2023 F1 season. He has been outclassed by Yuki Tsunoda and that's not a good look for De Vries.
Several F1 fans have pointed out the hypocrisy involved in going after Nyck de Vries with only a sample space of five races. On the other hand, Yuki Tsunoda got an extended rope of two seasons to get his house in order. There is one crucial difference though and that is the experience. Yuki was a fresh 20-year-old when he debuted. He was expected to be on a learning curve.
De Vries does not have that luxury. That's where things have not gone his way. For the Dutch driver to keep his seat, he needs to start putting together a stronger set of performances starting from the 2023 F1 Imola GP.
If he doesn't get that done, Red Bull is notorious for being ruthless with the drivers anyway and an early exit might not be a major surprise.
#2 Charles Leclerc - Ferrari
Charles Leclerc had an amazing weekend in Baku. He completely nullified his brilliance in Baku with a rather underwhelming weekend in Miami. Crashing twice in a weekend is just poor driver judgment. Especially in the cost cap era.
Leclerc ended up having a decent race, he did not make much progress through the field and that is something that would rankle as he comes to Imola. In all fairness, the 2022 F1 Imola GP was the race where Leclerc's campaign unraveled completely last season. He came into this race with a more than 40-point advantage over Max Verstappen but by the time the season ended, the fortunes had flipped entirely.
This time around though, Charles Leclerc will be hoping for a better show at Ferrari's home race. The Italians will be out in numbers to support the driver and there could not be a better opportunity than this for him to secure an impressive result.
After a messy race in Miami, Leclerc will be desperate to get things right in Imola.
#3 Logan Sargeant - Williams
The 2023 F1 Imola GP comes at a crucial juncture for Logan Sargeant. The driver joined Williams on the back of an impressive F2 season. Having said that, the start of his F1 career has not been without its shortcomings.
If Williams was looking for an upgrade from Nicholas Latifi, then it got one in Sargeant. The American is clearly a step up in terms of performance to the Canadian.
However, as we reach the 2023 F1 Imola GP, on average, Sargeant's record has not been that good. He's crashed far too often, he was completely out of sorts in Miami and most importantly, his Williams teammate Alex Albon is taking the car to places that Sargeant has been unable to.
As a result, the shadow of Mick Schumacher looms large over Logan Sargeant as prepares for the 2023 F1 Imola GP. The American has been notorious for his inconsistency in junior categories.
The same has been true for his F1 career as well and he will be desperate to put together a better performance in the 2023 F1 Imola GP this weekend.
