This week, Formula 1 returns to the historic Imola circuit for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. This race marks the beginning of a crucial European triple-header that could significantly impact the championship battle.
Following his fourth victory in six races in Miami, Oscar Piastri holds a 16-point lead over his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. Max Verstappen of Red Bull trails Piastri by 32 points, while Mercedes` George Russell is 38 points behind.
McLaren demonstrated exceptional race pace, winning by over 30 seconds in the last outing. If they maintain this performance, the Drivers` Championship could quickly narrow down to a contest between their two drivers.
However, several key elements and technical changes could alter the competitive landscape in the upcoming weeks. The Imola event is the first in a series of three races, followed by the Monaco Grand Prix (May 23-25) and the Spanish Grand Prix (May 30-June 1).
Major Upgrades Expected at Imola
Almost every team is anticipated to bring significant upgrades to Imola, taking advantage of the break since the Miami Grand Prix and the logistical ease of transporting new parts within Europe.
Teams typically prefer to avoid introducing major updates at Monaco due to the unique nature of the street circuit and the higher risk of accidents. Consequently, Imola has been a target for development for several months.
Ferrari previously introduced a new floor in Bahrain, and Verstappen used a revised floor in Miami. Neither of these updates, however, seemed to significantly reduce their performance gap to McLaren.
According to Christian Horner, Red Bull`s new floor is part of a planned sequence of updates to be rolled out over the next few races, suggesting we might see minor improvements to the RB21 in Imola, potentially Monaco, and Spain.
“There is no big update for Imola. We`re at the stage of these regulations where it`s all incremental gains,” Horner stated.
“We`ve been unhappy at certain races this year with performance, but we`ve still been dragging results out of the car. We`re the only team to have won a race other than McLaren this year. We`ve had a couple of poles as well. We`re working very hard to improve the car and improve that situation.”
“It`s a long way to go. This championship is an absolute marathon. I don`t think you can exclude anybody in the top, probably, six at the moment as a potential contender – such is the length. And if last year teaches us anything, things can change very quickly.”
Last year saw a rapid shift, with Red Bull`s early dominance challenged by McLaren and Ferrari, who became competitive from Miami onwards and even surpassed Red Bull in the latter half of the season.
McLaren has been reserved about their development plans. Given their car`s current strength with no obvious weaknesses, they will likely be cautious to avoid making changes that could set them on the wrong path, as happened to Red Bull last year.
One area McLaren is reportedly focusing on is making the car more comfortable for Lando Norris. The British driver has openly admitted feeling “not as confident” this season compared to the end of last year, although he seemed to improve in Miami, showing better pace than Piastri in the final laps.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella mentioned last month that the team is working on improving the car`s driveability, especially in qualifying, which would benefit both drivers.
“This is something that the team can solve,” he said. “This is something that the team are trying to, if you want, put on a clear and precise engineering basis so that the tests and the new parts that we will bring will be exactly the ones needed.”
Mercedes also plans to bring a notable upgrade to Imola as they aim to close the gap to McLaren, particularly addressing their higher tire degradation.
Toto Wolff commented: “The team at Lauda Drive have been working hard to do that and we will be bringing several updates over the coming races.”
“F1 is a relative game, though, and we know our competitors will make progress too. It will be interesting to see how that plays out on track.”
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur confirmed there will be “some small upgrades” in Imola. This race will also mark the first time Lewis Hamilton races in front of the Tifosi in red.
The wave of new parts introduced over the next month is critical because teams will soon shift their full focus to the drastically different 2026 cars and the major regulation changes. From the second half of the season onwards, drivers will likely have to make do with their existing machinery for the remaining races, making this current phase of the development battle pivotal.
New Monaco Strategy Rules to Revitalise the Crown Jewel
After Imola, F1 heads directly to Monaco for a race that will feature a new pit stop rule aimed at making the Grand Prix more exciting.
In February, F1 announced that it will be mandatory to pit at least twice during the 78 laps around the Principality.
A lack of overtaking opportunities at F1`s most famous race, due to the narrow circuit and larger cars, has often resulted in processional races in recent years.
Last year, the top 10 finishers were in the same positions they started, partly because a red flag on the opening lap eliminated potential strategic variations.
The new strategy rules could introduce complexity and potential errors on the pit wall. Will teams pit early to benefit from a potential Safety Car? Will some drivers complete their two stops quickly? Will others wait until the final laps? This scenario presents a mix of opportunity and risk for strategists.
“I think it will definitely help the Sunday, especially with strategy,” last year`s winner Charles Leclerc told Sky Sports News. “The excitement on Sunday is maybe a bit less than what you will hope. The Saturday is incredible but the Sunday maybe needs a little bit of spice and hopefully this will give it.”
With two mandatory pit stops, drivers are likely to push harder throughout the race rather than managing tires and pace, knowing that overtaking is extremely difficult. This increased pace on a street circuit raises the possibility of more driver errors.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who won in Monaco in 2021, commented: “The focus you need to have is so much higher than any other track because it`s so narrow.”
“Other street circuits you have time to rest, there`s a bit more space or run-off areas but in Monaco you don`t. A little lock up or mistake, you turn a little bit too early and you`re in the wall.”
“Okay, you`re not driving on the limit all the time in the race but that is sometimes a danger as well because you tend to relax and then make a mistake. You need to keep telling yourself `focus, don`t relax, keep at it`. It`s a very challenging race.”
Controversial Flexible Wing Clampdown in Spain
It seems a Formula 1 season wouldn`t be complete without a technical controversy.
Following discussions last season about the `mini-DRS` effect observed on some teams` rear wings flexing at high speeds, the FIA announced new, stricter load tests for wings, which will be implemented at the Spanish Grand Prix at the end of May. Flexible bodywork is forbidden in Formula 1 regulations.
New deflection limits for rear wings were already introduced at the season-opening race in Melbourne, but the upcoming tests in Barcelona will specifically target front-wing flexing.
Footage from various races this year has appeared to show front wings on some cars visibly moving or deflecting on the straights – a phenomenon that can enhance straight-line speed – before returning to their rigid position for corners, thus maintaining optimal downforce when needed.
