Lewis Hamilton’s Imola Nightmare: Ferrari ‘Damage’ Causes F1 Chaos
In a dramatic turn of events at the Imola Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton’s dream of a fairytale weekend as a Ferrari driver turned into a nightmare. The seven-time world champion faced challenges during Saturday’s qualifying session, with his car only managing to secure the tenth fastest time in the final practice session of the weekend.
Hamilton’s woes continued as he reported “floor damage” to his team after running wide at turn 18 at Rivazza. The struggles were not limited to Hamilton, as Max Verstappen also faced difficulties, causing a red flag after a crash at Imola.
The teams grappled with setting fast times on the soft compound tires, with many failing to improve on their medium tire times. This issue was exacerbated by Pirelli’s decision to reduce tire pressures overnight and a drop in track temperature during the session.
Despite the challenges, McLaren showed dominance during Friday’s running and continued to impress in the final practice session. Lando Norris led the pack, edging ahead of Oscar Piastri during qualifying runs.
The session at Imola did not see any red flags, unlike the previous sessions on Friday. However, Liam Lawson’s high-speed spin through Tamburello raised eyebrows, though he managed to avoid any serious damage to his car.
In the midst of the action, here are the results from FP3 at the Imola Grand Prix:
1. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:14.897
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.100s
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +0.181s
4. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – +0.502s
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.554s
The reigning F1 champion, Max Verstappen, continues to make his mark in the competition after securing his fourth drivers’ championship last year. The Emilia-Romagna GP weekend progresses with qualifying on Saturday, promising more intense action on the track.
As the F1 drama unfolds at Imola, the stakes are higher than ever as drivers push their limits for a shot at victory. Stay tuned for more updates on the thrilling world of Formula 1.