After a nail-biting season opener in Bahrain, Formula One now kicks off the European leg of this season with the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton comes here as the championship leader but with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen looking ready for a title tilt, this weekend could well be a huge opportunity for Hamilton to deliver an early psychological blow to his title rival with a second consecutive win.
Further back, Alpine and Aston Martin will both be looking to recover from a difficult season-opener and mount more of a midfield challenge, whilst AlphaTauri seek to continue their strong form of last year’s race with another top ten scrap.
Now, here is everything that you need to know ahead of 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Track Guide
Laps: 63
Race Distance: 309.049km
Tyre Compounds: C2, C3 & C4
Schedule
| Date | Session | UK Time (BST) |
| Friday 16 April | FP1 | 10:00am |
| Friday 16 April | FP2 | 1:30pm |
| Saturday 17 April | FP3 | 10:00am |
| Saturday 17 April | Qualifying | 1:00pm |
| Sunday 18 April | Race | 2:00pm |
Five Key Pointers
- With hotter temperatures forecast compared to their chilly visit at end of October 2020, we could well see track conditions play a bigger role in how the race unfolds with tyre management looking key.
- Rain is forecast for part of weekend which should create tougher challenges in several hard braking zones, especially on entry to Rivazza at bottom of a hill where rivers could form.
- DRS didn’t prove beneficial around here last season so expect emphasis on late braking throughout the race if drivers are to overtake on track.
- Having experienced reliability issues in the Bahrain GP, Red Bull will be hoping for a clean weekend with Sergio Perez closer to Verstappen in Qualifying if want to really fight Mercedes.
- AlphaTauri impressed at Imola last Autumn so expect to see them emerge take the fight to McLaren and Ferrari for the third best team this weekend.
Last Time Out
2020 saw Formula One return to Imola for the first time since 2006 which proved to be a glorious occasion for Mercedes as they sealed a seventh consecutive Constructors’ title.
To add to the Silver Arrows’ crowning moment, Hamilton took victory after executing a race-winning undercut after running an extended first stint, before stopping under the safety car following Esteban Ocon’s retirement with a clutch issue and proceeded to cruise to victory.
To read our race report for 2020 Emilia Romagna GP, please click HERE.