“Imola is a real test of driver and machine” – Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel goes into this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on the back of a disastrous Australian Grand Prix, the German will be hoping to kickstart the European-leg of the season in much better fashion.

Vettel goes into this weekend having retired last-time out at the Albert Park Circuit, finishing the race will be the minimum that the Four-Time World Champion will be looking to achieve at Imola. Imola will also play host to the first Sprint race of the season, adding an extra element of excitement to the weekend.

The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is both a fan and driver favourite, Vettel explained how the venue is both a test for “driver and machine”.

“Imola is a real test of driver and machine, and that’s what every F1 circuit should be. It’s hard to imagine we’d ever be racing around Imola in ground-effect cars – that’s really something special, and a bit of a throwback to the 1980s, which is cool. I’m looking forward to getting back into the car and getting up to speed. Imola has never hosted a Sprint race before, so I’m also excited to see how that plays out.”

“Few circuits are more old-school” – Lance Stroll

It’s been a miserable start to the season for Lance Stroll, who’ll be hoping to put the opening rounds behind him and achieve a points finish at the first European race of the 2022 season.

It comes as no surprise that like his team-mate, Stroll is a massive fan of Imola and is glad that one of the most historic races in the sport has managed to re-establish itself on the calendar.

“It has been cool to see Imola not only return to the F1 calendar but re-establish itself as one of the classic tracks that we visit. Few circuits are more old-school: there’s so little run-off and you must make set-up trade-offs for a fast and flowing lap, so it’s about bravery and finding the limits as quickly and consistently as possible. It will be interesting to see how the changes to F1 Sprint liven up the race weekend, too.”

Credit: Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team