For a fourth successive weekend in Formula 1, there was a duel for the lead between Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.
On this occasion it took place not on a Sunday, but on a Saturday, with the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix playing host to the first Sprint event of the 2022 season.
In the 100km race—a third the distance of a full Sunday Grand Prix—the finishing order sets the starting line-up for Sunday’s Grand Prix, and the format is being run this year at Imola, Austria’s Red Bull Ring and Brazil’s Interlagos.
On Saturday, top honors and the eight bonus points for the sprint win were again contested between the reigning champion and the man likeliest to prize away his crown.
Fast-starting Leclerc grabbed the lead off the line, much to the delight of the majority Ferrari-supporting fans on the team’s home soil, but Verstappen bided his time and swept past his opponent on the penultimate lap, as Leclerc struggled more with tire graining.
Leclerc’s runner-up spot nonetheless was worth seven points and enabled him to extend his points lead to 40, over new nearest rival teammate Carlos Sainz. Verstappen clawed back a solitary point to reduce his deficit to 45.
“I think we were pretty much flat out, there’s not many laps anyway,” said Verstappen. “Of course we knew on these tires, it was going to be tough at the end of the race, the last few laps, but it worked out for us.”
Leclerc was sanguine about the late defeat; he had to accept second-best to Verstappen but it gives Ferrari valuable lessons ahead of Sunday’s race.
“We were side-by-side for Turn 1 and I could focus on my own race from that moment onwards,” he said. “I tried to push at the beginning to get a bit of a gap and not allow Max to get in the DRS zone, because I knew that I would have been vulnerable in that case. But I paid the price a little bit later on in the race, I had some graining and really struggled in the last two or three laps. It’s like this but it’s only the sprint race and we’ll learn from this to be better tomorrow.”
It was another dismal day for reigning champions Mercedes; George Russell was only 11th, with Lewis Hamilton 14th, meaning they will start there for the Grand Prix. There were no incidents or setbacks for either, with the results merely the maximum possible given the limitations of their recalcitrant car.
“Ultimately we haven’t got it right this year but everyone is working hard to correct it,” said Hamilton, who ruled himself out of title contention. He is already 50 behind Leclerc.
Nevertheless there still could be a wrench thrown into the works for the field of 20 on Sunday. Current weather models indicate a 60% chance of heavy showers striking at some stage of the race.
As expected, Formula 1’s managing director of motorsports Ross Brawn praised the format, labelling it “great entertainment” and reiterated that there will be a renewed push for more Sprint races in 2023.
“We’d like to have six next year,” he said. “I think (the teams) can see the success. We didn’t quite know where we were last year with the old cars but I think they can see the way this is feeding into the new cars. I’m optimistic they’ll all see the value in it. Even the fans. What you should always remember about the sprint is it gives you a great Friday as well.”
