Formula 1 returns to Europe for the first time this season, with the iconic Imola circuit hosting the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend.
Lando Norris claimed a stunning F1 debut win in his final race in Miami, beating Max Verstappen after a perfectly timed safety car to claim McLaren’s first win since September 2021.
However, Verstappen holds a healthy 33-point lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez in the drivers’ championship, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc sitting third after another podium finish in Miami.
But there is work to be done for Lewis Hamilton, who has made his worst ever start to the F1 season and currently sits ninth. While the race held in Imola last year was canceled due to heavy flooding in the region, Verstappen achieved victory in 2022 and 2021.
Follow the latest news from The Independent about the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
F1 EMILIA ROMAGNA GRAND PRIX – LATEST UPDATES
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F1 returns to Europe this weekend for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
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All 20 drivers at Imola will speak to the press today
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Alex Albon signed a new long-term contract with Williams on Wednesday
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What are the match times in Imola this weekend?
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Adrian Newey gives important hints on his next move after Red Bull departure
Carlos Sainz:
13:36 , Kieran Jackson
“Hopefully there will be some progress with the car this weekend. I still think it depends on the track, Miami was a more suitable track for our car. I felt it was back to normal. Hopefully Imola will be a good track for us. We will have to keep improving…”
Will the transition to 2025 take some time? “I guess so, it’s not going very fast.”
FIA press conference:
13:05 , Kieran Jackson
Here are the names we expect in the press conference hall at 13:30 (BST):
-Pierre Gasly
-Carlos Sainz
-Kevin Magnussen
-Zhou Guanyu
-Lando Norris
-Daniel Ricciardo
The rest of the drivers will also speak to broadcast media.
What are the track times at Imola this weekend?
12:28 , Kieran Jackson
(All times are BST)
Friday, May 17
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Free practice 1: 12:30pm
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Free practice 2: 4pm
Saturday, May 18
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Free practice 3: 11.30am
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Qualified: 3 p.m.
Sunday, May 19
Adrian Newey gives important hints on his next move after Red Bull departure
12:06 , Kieran Jackson
Adrian Newey has admitted he is “seriously considering” joining another F1 team after leaving Red Bull next year.
The 65-year-old design guru, who is credited with the current version of the Red Bull car that currently dominates the sport, is leaving Red Bull at the beginning of 2025 after 19 years with Christian Horner’s team.
Newey said last week that he was looking forward to a break and was “a little tired.” He added that he has not yet made a decision about his future.
But the designer, who chose Ferrari favorite Newey, announced that he would “probably go again” and join another team in the sport.
The full track is below:
Adrian Newey gives important hints on his next move after Red Bull departure
11:47 , Kieran Jackson
Adrian Newey says he is “seriously considering changing teams, going somewhere else and doing another four or five years” after leaving Red Bull next year.
The 65-year-old added: “I’m feeling a bit tired at the moment but I’ll probably go again at some point.”
Christian Horner gives Eddie Jordan X-rated ‘silent assassin’ vibes
11:21 , Kieran Jackson
Christian Horner has described Eddie Jordan as a “silent assassin” after his former team boss held talks over Adrian Newey’s early exit from his Red Bull contract.
Red Bull’s chief technical officer, design guru Newey, will leave the team at the start of 2025 after 19 years working alongside Horner. Ferrari is the favorite for Newey, who has not yet announced his next move.
In his exit announcement, Newey thanked his “close friend and manager” Jordan for his help – in a partnership not publicly known – and Horner called former team boss Jordan shortly after Newey’s departure.
Full quotes below:
Horner gives Jordan X-rated ‘silent assassin’ vibe over Newey departure
Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 F1 championship bid strengthened after Ferrari poached two Mercedes executives
10:55 , Kieran Jackson
Ferrari has announced that two key Mercedes personnel – engineer Loic Serra and manager Jerome d’Ambrosio – will join the team later this year.
The pair will join on October 1 and will help Lewis Hamilton’s quest to win a world title with the Scuderia. The British pilot will also join Ferrari from Mercedes in 2025.
Serra, Mercedes’ current performance director, will take on the role of “Head of Chassis Performance Engineering” at Ferrari. He previously worked at Michelin and BMW-Sauber.
Former driver D’Ambrosio raced 20 times in F1 between 2011 and 2012 and was Toto Wolff’s right-hand man at Mercedes.
The full track is below:
Hamilton’s 2025 F1 championship bid strengthened after Ferrari poached two Mercedes executives
Drivers are coming to Imola for media day!
10:38 , Kieran Jackson
Kimi Antonelli: Who is the young Mercedes driver who will replace Lewis Hamilton on the F1 grid in 2025?
10:20 , Kieran Jackson
Youngster Kimi Antonelli, who is rumored to replace Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes next year, is currently one of the highest-rated candidates in motorsport.
The Italian driver will skip F3 and race in Formula 2 for Prema Racing in 2024, alongside British teenager and Ferrari reserve Ollie Bearman.
Antonelli, 17, is on Mercedes’ books and joined their youth program at the age of 11. In the years since, he has won numerous karting and single-seater competitions, which brought him into the spotlight at such a young age.
So much so that Williams applied to the FIA for a special exemption for Antonelli to compete in F1 before he turns 18.This Birthday in August will potentially replace Logan Sargeant. But the governing body is thought to be unlikely to approve the request.
So what is Antonelli’s background and can he really step into F1 at such a young age?
Kimi Antonelli: Who is the youngster Mercedes is expected to replace Lewis Hamilton in 2025?
Constructors’ standings ahead of Imola:
10:00 , Kieran Jackson
1. Red Bull – 239 points
2. Ferrari – 187 points
3.McLaren – 124 points
4.Mercedes – 64 points
5. Aston Martin – 42 points
6. RB – 19 points
7. Haas – 7 points
8. Alp – 1 point
9.Williams – 0 points
10. Sauber – 0 points
Lando Norris stood on the podium at Imola three years ago:
09:43 , Kieran Jackson
Jenson Button warns Lewis Hamilton of ‘different style of racing’ at Ferrari
09:29 , Kieran Jackson
Jenson Button has warned Lewis Hamilton to expect a different driver team approach when he moves to Ferrari next year.
Hamilton, a seven-time F1 world champion and winner of six of his seven championships with Mercedes, will leave Silver Arrows at the end of the season after 12 years with the team.
The 39-year-old will join Charles Leclerc at Ferrari, replacing Carlos Sainz, as he moves to the sport’s most prestigious team to win a record-breaking eighth world title.
Although Ferrari has shown promise against Red Bull this season, Mercedes has fallen behind McLaren to become the fourth fastest team on the grid, while Hamilton has had his worst start to the season so far.
Full quotes below:
Jenson Button warns Lewis Hamilton of ‘different style of racing’ at Ferrari
F1 2024 calendar:
09:16 , Kieran Jackson
Round 7 – EMILIA ROMAGNA
Imola Circuit – 17-19 May
Round 8 – MONACO
Circuit de Monaco – 24-26 May
Round 9 – CANADA
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal – June 7-9
Round 10 – SPAIN
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalonia – 21-23 June
ROUND 11 – AUSTRIA (speed race)
Red Bull Ring, Spielberg – 28-30 June
Round 12 – GREAT BRITAIN
Silverstone Circuit – 5-7 July
ROUND 13 – HUNGARY
Hungaroring, Budapest – 19-21 July
ROUND 14 – BELGIUM
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps – 26-28 July
Round 15 – NETHERLANDS
Zandvoort Tour – 23-25 August
Round 16 – ITALY
Monza Circuit – 30 August – 1 September
Round 17 – AZERBAIJAN
Baku City Circuit – 13-15 September
Round 18 – SINGAPORE
Marina Bay Street Circuit – 20-22 September
Round 19 – UNITED STATES (speed race)
Americas Tour, Austin – October 18-20
Round 20 – MEXICO
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City – 25-27 October
Round 21 – BRAZIL (speed race)
Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo – 1-3 November
Round 22 – LAS VEGAS
Las Vegas Street Circuit – November 21-23
Round 23 – QATAR (speed race)
Lusail International Circuit, Lusail – 29 November – 1 December
Round 24 – ABU DHABI
Yas Marina Circuit – 6-8 December
FIA press conference:
08:57 , Kieran Jackson
Here are the names we expect in the press conference hall at 13:30 (BST):
-Pierre Gasly
-Carlos Sainz
-Kevin Magnussen
-Zhou Guanyu
-Lando Norris
-Daniel Ricciardo
The rest of the drivers will also speak to broadcast media.
Alex Albon commits future to Williams with new long-term contract
08:45 , Kieran Jackson
Alex Albon has signed a multi-year contract extension with Williams, ending speculation about his future by committing to the team.
The 28-year-old driver seems determined to stay with the British manufacturer until the new Formula 1 regulations period that will start in 2026.
Reports had linked the talented Albon, a two-time podium finisher in F1, with a move away from Williams.
However, Albon reaffirmed his commitment to the team he joined ahead of the 2022 season and the Thai star is confident “great things will happen in the future”.
Full details below:
Alex Albon commits future to Williams with new long-term contract
Driver Rankings ahead of this weekend:
08:38 , Kieran Jackson
1. Max Verstappen – 136 points
2. Sergio Perez – 103 points
3. Charles Leclerc – 98 points
4. Lando Norris – 83 points
5. Carlos Sainz – 83 points
6.Oscar Piastri – 41 points
7. George Russell – 37 points
8. Fernando Alonso – 33 points
9. Lewis Hamilton – 27 points
10.Yuki Tsunoda -14 points
11. Lance Stroll – 9 points
12. Oliver Bearman – 6 points
13. Nico Hulkenberg – 6 points
14. Daniel Ricciardo – 5 points
15. Esteban Ocon – 1 point
16. Kevin Magnussen – 1 point
17. Alex Albon – 0 points
18. Zhou Guanyu – 0 points
19. Pierre Gasly – 0 points
20. Valtteri Bottas – 0 points
21. Logan Sargeant – 0 points
What are the track times at Imola this weekend?
08:35 , Kieran Jackson
(All times are BST)
Friday, May 17
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Free practice 1: 12:30pm
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Free practice 2: 4pm
Saturday, May 18
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Free practice 3: 11.30am
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Qualified: 3 p.m.
Sunday, May 19
F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix!
08:33 , Kieran Jackson
Formula 1 returns to Europe for the first time this season, with the iconic Imola circuit hosting the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend.
Lando Norris claimed a stunning F1 debut win in his final race in Miami, beating Max Verstappen after a perfectly timed safety car to claim McLaren’s first win since September 2021.
However, Verstappen holds a healthy 33-point lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez in the drivers’ championship, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc sitting third after another podium finish in Miami.
But there is work to be done for Lewis Hamilton, who has made his worst ever start to the F1 season and currently sits ninth. While the race held in Imola last year was canceled due to severe flooding in the region, Verstappen achieved victory in 2022 and 2021.
