F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix practice LIVE! Latest news and updates from Imola ahead of qualifying today

F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - LIVE!

A very damp Imola welcomes Formula One today for first practice ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Charles Leclerc arrives at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari with a healthy championship lead and an even healthier backing from the Ferrari fans in Italy.

Max Verstappen and Red Bull are out to end their rollercoaster start to the season when it comes to reliability, and the pace is certainly there for the reigning world champion.

The same cannot be said for the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who are performing surprisingly well in the standings but fear their upgrade package will arrive too late for a title charge.

This weekend poses plenty of new questions to the paddock with just a single practice session to lock in their setups, before qualifying on Friday evening and the sprint on Saturday. That will decide the grid for another enthralling round of this new F1 season.

Follow Standard Sport’s live blog for updates and expert analysis from Marc Mayo at Imola...

Emilia Romagna updates

• Session start times

• Weather latest

Until next time...

Friday 22 April 2022 18:10 , Marc Mayo

That draws our coverage of the Friday track action at Imola to an end.

Thanks for joining us and we will be back tomorrow for a live blog of the second practice session and the sprint race which will decide Sunday’s grid.

Recap qualifying with our full report.

The lap that won pole for Verstappen

Friday 22 April 2022 18:04 , Marc Mayo

How it all shook out after that mad session

Friday 22 April 2022 17:59 , Marc Mayo

Friday 22 April 2022 17:53 , Marc Mayo

Verstappen reacts

Friday 22 April 2022 17:51 , Marc Mayo

“It was tricky out there. It was very slippery. I'm very pleased with pole position. It’s a good start to the weekend.”

Friday 22 April 2022 17:47 , Marc Mayo

VERSTAPPEN ON POLE

Friday 22 April 2022 17:42 , Marc Mayo

Confirmation that the session, with only 38 seconds left, will not resume.

That means the Red Bull is one pole - followed by Leclerc and Norris - who did thump the wall as he skidded off but any damage appears to be minimal.

RED FLAG

Friday 22 April 2022 17:40 , Marc Mayo

We have a McLaren off at Acque Minerali, it’s Norris!

And that’s a record! FIVE red flags in one qualifying session.

Friday 22 April 2022 17:39 , Marc Mayo

Verstappen, Leclerc and Perez lead off - in that order.

The Dutchman crosses the line with only time for one lap!

“I have no grip,” he tells team radio.

Green light!

Friday 22 April 2022 17:38 , Marc Mayo

We move.

It is worth noting we have now matched the 2016 Hungarian Grand Prix and 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix for most red flags in an F1 qualifying session. Don’t rule out breaking that record...

Friday 22 April 2022 17:34 , Marc Mayo

Bottas waves from the passenger seat of the truck carrying his stricken Alfa Romeo back to the pits, as F1 confirms a 5.38pm BST restart.

This has to be one of the longest qualifying sessions ever, and it won’t even decide the grid for the race!

Friday 22 April 2022 17:33 , Marc Mayo

We are still waiting for a restart time as the rain hammers down in Emilia Romagna.

Friday 22 April 2022 17:27 , Marc Mayo

So, a sitrep before this day finally reaches its end...

Verstappen sits top of the timesheet after posting a 1:27.999 despite the yellow flag as he put that time in.

Leclerc is second, ahead of Norris, Magnussen, Alonso, Ricciardo, Perez, Bottas (out), Vettel, and Sainz (out).

RED FLAG

Friday 22 April 2022 17:25 , Marc Mayo

Bottas’ Alfa Romeo cannot continue and we have time called - two minutes and 58 seconds before the end of Q3.

A FOURTH red flag of this qualifying.

Friday 22 April 2022 17:24 , Marc Mayo

Conditions are improving all the time as a dry-ish line is forged but a yellow flag is out to interrupt a really hot Verstappen lap. No matter! He goes quickest anyway.

It was for Bottas, who is out!

Friday 22 April 2022 17:22 , Marc Mayo

The entire pack are again on the Inters and Alonso almost becomes the latest driver to cause a flag of some kind, as his rear-end attempts to swap with his nose at Acque Minerali.

Ricciardo and Norris temporarily enjoy a McLaren 1-2 before Leclerc and Verstappen breeze through, the Ferrari on top with a 1:28.778.

Friday 22 April 2022 17:18 , Marc Mayo

Despite causing the red flag, Magnussen’s Haas is fit to continue in the session. How often has a car both ended a session and then made the restart before?

Green light!

Friday 22 April 2022 17:17 , Marc Mayo

We go again...

Eight minutes and 51 seconds to pick a pole sitter for tomorrow’s sprint race, and with a completely clean timesheet as the drivers head off into the Imola evening.

RED FLAG

Friday 22 April 2022 17:13 , Marc Mayo

Magnussen crashes out, perhaps just avoiding the barrier like Bottas earlier, and is able to shimmy his car back onto the track.

But the session has been stopped, with just under nine minutes left and no times on the board.

We’ll restart at 5.18pm BST.

Friday 22 April 2022 17:12 , Marc Mayo

Inters are the order of the day but it’s still very slippy out on track, Verstappen having to skirt along the grass on his out lap at Tamburello after nearly losing his Red Bull.

And we have a Haas in the wall!

Green light!

Friday 22 April 2022 17:08 , Marc Mayo

Nine drivers are left to battle it out for pole position for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix sprint race!

Watch Sainz crash out of qualifying

Friday 22 April 2022 17:06 , Marc Mayo

CHEQUERED FLAG

Friday 22 April 2022 17:04 , Marc Mayo

Norris almost stacks it but thanks his lucky stars for the run-off area extending just as long as he needed it to!

Q3 starts at 5.09pm BST.

Friday 22 April 2022 16:58 , Marc Mayo

Vettel heads out! This is good practice for the impending wet Q3 session, with Hamilton, Stroll et al already out of their cars.

Something for the fans to watch too, so long as he doesn’t put it in the wall...

Leclerc, Perez, Alonso and Bottas are joining him for this little run.

Friday 22 April 2022 16:57 , Marc Mayo

Three minutes to go in Q2 and it’s safe to say that tomorrow’s sprint race will be lining up with Sainz tenth, Russell 11th, Schumacher 12th, Hamilton 13th, Zhou 14th and Stroll 15th.

A particularly harsh result on the Chinese rookie given his sterling effort in Q1.

Green light!

Friday 22 April 2022 16:51 , Marc Mayo

No movement in any of the garages, with Soft tyres still bolted on in the hope of this rain clearing.

Here comes the rain!

Friday 22 April 2022 16:47 , Marc Mayo

A full on downpour across Imola during the reak, which will end at 4.50pm BST.

It makes for pretty useless conditions to improve upon times and the bottom five are currently Russell, Schumacher, Hamilton, Zhou and Stroll.

Friday 22 April 2022 16:44 , Marc Mayo

That Ferrari was simply too hot to handle for Sainz as he rounded the final turn and skidded off into the tyre barrier.

It’s not a massive impact fortunately and he hops on a moped for the short run back to the paddock.

RED FLAG

Friday 22 April 2022 16:41 , Marc Mayo

And with rain coming, that might just be that!

Friday 22 April 2022 16:41 , Marc Mayo

Verstappen has the edge of the first laps, leading Sainz, Norris and then Leclerc off the back of a 1:18.793.

And a Ferrari is in the wall! That’s Sainz!

Friday 22 April 2022 16:38 , Marc Mayo

Uh oh... A warning over team radio that rain is coming in just a lap’s time.

Get those Soft tyre runs in while you can!

Green light!

Friday 22 April 2022 16:36 , Marc Mayo

“Let’s go!” shouts Zhou after landing his Alfa Romeo in fourth place of that session.

That time is wiped however as Q2 begins...

Friday 22 April 2022 16:34 , Marc Mayo

The narrowest of escapes for Hamilton, with Russell not much further up the road in 12th.

AlphaTauri are out with Tsunoda 16th and Gasly 17th, ahead of Ocon, Latifi and Albon.

Leclerc tops that session at 1:18.796, half a second clear of Verstappen in second.

CHEQUERED FLAG

Friday 22 April 2022 16:30 , Marc Mayo

Hamilton and Russell are in need of big laps and the seven-time champ only goes 13th with his penultimate attempt, before being dropped below his teammate by four tenths.

Schumacher, Vettel and Ocon can still upset the Mercs and the German duo knock Hamilton back... only for his last lap to grab 15th!

He’s clear of Tsunoda by just four THOUSANDTHS of a second!

Friday 22 April 2022 16:27 , Marc Mayo

All eyes on the dropzone ahead of the final couple of laps.

Albon is out, and so will be his Williams teammate Latifi as things stand. He flat-spots his Soft tyres with a spin and trip across the grass that really doesn’t look good - his car sliding into the brake marker.

Schumacher, who has also had a venture off-track, goes 14th to leave Ocon, Vettel and Hamilton at risk...

Friday 22 April 2022 16:24 , Marc Mayo

What can Hamilton do with five minutes to go? No lifting on the back straight as his car bounces around and he puts in a 1:21.556 to go seventh.

Russell follows him through to nudge him back a spot by a very thin margin.

Friday 22 April 2022 16:23 , Marc Mayo

Sainz effectively took two warm-up laps for that run and goes top with a 1:20.319, ahead of Leclerc by two tenths.

Verstappen’s second hit is enough for only second, two hundredths off Sainz.

Friday 22 April 2022 16:21 , Marc Mayo

A first set of proper laps arrive and leave us with an Aston Martin 1-2, led by Stroll! Bottas puts himself between the Canadian and Vettel, with Leclerc back in sixth.

A long way to go in this one...

Green light!

Friday 22 April 2022 16:17 , Marc Mayo

We’re back underway with that red flag and the drying track effectively meaning we have just a 12-minute Q1 session, as all drivers strap on the softs to head out.

Restart in five minutes

Friday 22 April 2022 16:13 , Marc Mayo

F1 has confirmed Q1 will resume at 4.17pm BST, after the stewards cleared away the debris by Turn 14.

Friday 22 April 2022 16:09 , Marc Mayo

Nothing in particular appears to have started that fire, just a case of severe overheating. As Albon headed home his rear-right brakes appeared to explode, firing debris over the track which will need clearing up.

Problem for Albon!

Friday 22 April 2022 16:06 , Marc Mayo

His Williams is on fire in the rear brakes and he’s attempting to nurse it home - despite a big blowout at the back!

That’s a red flag.

Friday 22 April 2022 16:04 , Marc Mayo

Nothing to separate Zhou’s first Soft tyre times and Hamilton on the Inters, meaning we’ve hit the crossover and it will be slicks from here on in. No more rain is expected even if it is rather grey overhead.

Green light!

Friday 22 April 2022 16:01 , Marc Mayo

Right then, 18 minutes of action in Q1 is ahead of us with five drivers to be eliminated.

It is the Intermediate tyres favoured by Russell in the Mercedes but Zhou’s Alfa Romeo sports a fetching pair of Softs!

Hamilton tells team radio “there’s a dry line out here”.

Can this man upset the tifosi?

Friday 22 April 2022 15:57 , Marc Mayo

All eyes on the Ferraris today

Friday 22 April 2022 15:52 , Marc Mayo

Ten minute warning!

Friday 22 April 2022 15:49 , Marc Mayo

Qualifying soon gets underway, with this session deciding the order for tomorrow’s sprint race.

Friday 22 April 2022 15:45 , Marc Mayo

Any Mercedes hopes of catching Ferrari and Red Bull this weekend already appear all but over - but George Russell was realistic about their chances nonetheless.

Russell said this morning: “I think it’s been a reasonable start [to the season] with the package we’ve got, but we know we won’t maintain this position unless we find more performance.

“There’s nothing substantial that’s going to make a drastic difference this weekend. We’re constantly trying new bits and pieces, but in terms of an overall result we are just too far behind.”

Read the full story.

FP1 Recap

Friday 22 April 2022 15:41 , Marc Mayo

Friday 22 April 2022 15:38 , Marc Mayo

Mick Schumacher has insisted that he is not concerned about Ferrari sticking with Carlos Sainz for another two years.

The young German is part of the Scuderia’s academy but now both Sainz and Charles Leclerc are signed to long-term deals.

“I think it was expected in many ways,” he said.

“Of course, Carlos did a mega job last year so he deserves it. For me, it doesn’t mean anything different than usual. I do my job here trying my best, and the opportunities will come.”

Friday 22 April 2022 15:34 , Marc Mayo

Toto Wolff has revealed the extent of Mercedes’ porpoising issues around Imola this weekend.

He told Sky Sports: “We had George bouncing so much that he actually broke the stay on the floor. You can’t drive [down the main straight] – you have to lift on the straight.

“I have never experienced bouncing like this in my life. But it’s clearly not drivable.

“Feedback that we are getting from Lewis and George is that there’s literally zero grip and that these gaps point to the tyres. When you are able to unlock that issue, you will do a jump and where that will end, I don’t know.”

Disaster for Leclerc

Friday 22 April 2022 15:28 , Marc Mayo

Arthur Leclerc, that is, who has crashed out of qualifying in F2 after a collision with Enzo Trulli (another famous name!).

The brother of Ferrari ace Charles was tagged by Trulli as they scuffled at the final corners, in a bid to get the perfect launch for a fast lap.

Friday 22 April 2022 15:17 , Marc Mayo

Lewis Hamilton has laid out his vision for Chelsea as part of a consortium bidding to buy the Premier League club.

With the seven-time world champion’s Formula One career set to take precedent for at least the next couple of years, he plans to one day become more hands-on at Stamford Bridge if Sir Martin Broughton is successful in leading a takeover.

“At the moment my primary focus is continuing in Formula One, this isn’t my first investment but it’s something I’m excited about,” he told reporters in Italy on Friday.

Read the full story.

Meanwhile, in F2...

Friday 22 April 2022 15:10 , Marc Mayo

How to watch

Friday 22 April 2022 15:03 , Marc Mayo

TV channel: Qualifying will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event.

Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also tune in via the Sky Go app.

Weather update

Friday 22 April 2022 14:58 , Marc Mayo

It is grey overhead but the rain seems to have abated around the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari.

Whether the drivers will be able to strap on dry tyres for qualifying in an hour remains very much in the air, however, with it just 12°C in Emilia Romagna.

Nobody can doubt Seb Vettel’s green credentials

Friday 22 April 2022 14:49 , Marc Mayo

How’s that for a view of the track!

Friday 22 April 2022 14:41 , Marc Mayo

Friday 22 April 2022 14:32 , Marc Mayo

George Russell was the quickest Mercedes driver in first practice. He finished the session in 10th place, nearly five seconds off the pace.

Lewis Hamilton was down in 18th, a further two seconds back...

Stay tuned!

Friday 22 April 2022 14:08 , Marc Mayo

Keep it with Standard Sport as we will be bringing you all the action from qualifying, at 4pm BST.

Until then, we will keep you abreast of all the latest from the F1 paddock here at Imola.

A hell of a session for Haas

Friday 22 April 2022 13:54 , Marc Mayo

How Valtteri Bottas’ session ended

Friday 22 April 2022 13:48 , Marc Mayo

Classification

Friday 22 April 2022 13:40 , Marc Mayo

That is the end of FP1 - here is how it all shook out.

Friday 22 April 2022 13:34 , Marc Mayo

That Alfa Romeo is thoroughly beached after he lost control over the kerb, but he avoided anything but the slightest impact with the tyre wall.

Try as he might to reverse away, Bottas simply spins his wheels and will need assistance. But, there is plenty of time for that with qualifying just under two-and-a-half hours away.

CHEQUERED FLAG

Friday 22 April 2022 13:32 , Marc Mayo

Charles Leclerc is the quickest in first practice after clocking a 1:29.402, over eight-tenths quicker than Carlos Sainz.

The next four places are split between Red Bull and Haas... and Valtteri Bottas has crashed!

His nose is in the tyre wall at Turn 13 and he is struggling to reverse away.

Friday 22 April 2022 13:28 , Marc Mayo

A chance for some practice starts as a handful of drivers jump back on track for a final hot lap.

It’s a Ferrari 1-2 as things stand, and a Ferrari-powered 4-5 as Max Verstappen in third is trailed by the Haas pair of Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher.

Friday 22 April 2022 13:26 , Marc Mayo

Calling for the red flag was perhaps a bit hasty there as Norris can drag his car out of the gravel, having spun on the entry of Turn 12.

The clock is still running and the restart will take place with just three minutes left to run.

RED FLAG

Friday 22 April 2022 13:25 , Marc Mayo

Lewis Hamilton tells team radio there’s a “big wake-up issue for this tyre” as he struggles to warm the Inters up to give him any kind of speed.

He’s lodged in 17th between an Alfa Romeo and Aston Martin.

Up top, Charles Leclerc has a 0.8-second gap to Carlos Sainz after breaking the 1 minute 30 barrier.

And we have a red flag! Lando Norris has dropped his McLaren in the gravel.

Friday 22 April 2022 13:20 , Marc Mayo

Into the last ten minutes and both Leclerc and Verstappen have improved on their times but a over a second off Sainz.

There has just been nothing for Mercedes to get excited about with Lewis Hamilton 14th and George Russell 17th, will the Inters prove more favourable for them than the wets?

Friday 22 April 2022 13:17 , Marc Mayo

No one is within almost three seconds of either Ferrari and it’s not for the want of trying, Max Verstappen going off the track at Turn 13 before Charles Leclerc has to skip over the grass while pushing hard.

Carlos Sainz drops in a 1:30.803 which for the time being is 2.9 seconds quicker than third-placed Kevin Magnussen. Haas are having a good session, with Mick Schumacher sixth.

Friday 22 April 2022 13:13 , Marc Mayo

More from Carlos Sainz who is enjoying his trip to Ferrari’s home circuit and shaves a second off his best time.

No such improvements first time round for Charles Leclerc as he loses his tail to spin around on the back straight - before he goes again and clocks a 1:32.512, just less than a tenth quicker than his teammate.

Friday 22 April 2022 13:10 , Marc Mayo

Turn 18, the double left-hander to finish off the lap, is proving difficult with drivers keen to get a head of steam into the start-finish straight and sliding into the gravel as a result.

Mick Schumacher is next to- drift too far wide before Carlos Sainz shows the power of the Inters, with a 1:33.716.

Friday 22 April 2022 13:07 , Marc Mayo

Sebastian Vettel is the surprise name in the top five.

Sergio Perez holds the lead with a 1:35.476 before Charles Leclerc, a tenth-and-a-half behind. Then it’s Carlos Sainz, Vettel, and Max Verstappen.

Let’s see how things hold as drivers get to grip with the Inters - something Lance Stroll is not doing after going into the gravel at the final turn.

Friday 22 April 2022 13:03 , Marc Mayo

Into the second half of the session and it actually feels a little brighter here in Imola, not that you can tell that from Alex Albon’s insde-the-helmet cam that really shows how he’s fighting his Williams to find grip on corner exits.

Lance Stroll is out on the Inters and immediately runs wide at the first chicane.

Friday 22 April 2022 12:57 , Marc Mayo

Lewis Hamilton pits and hops out of his car for a comfort break. Mercedes are way down in 14th and 16th at the moment, with the AlphaTauris looking the best of the rest behind Ferrari and Red Bull early on.

Friday 22 April 2022 12:54 , Marc Mayo

That’s a big spin for Charles Leclerc, which sends his Ferrari bouncing over the kerbs before he can drive off. They will want to check the floor after that one.

And we can now add Esteban Ocon to the list of names checking out Emilia Romagna’s finest rocks as he briefly meets the gravel.

Friday 22 April 2022 12:52 , Marc Mayo

All these drivers falling off the track, you would maybe think the grip wasn’t getting any better.

But, Carlos Sainz tells team radio he will need just ten minutes before he can strap on the Intermediate tyres.

Friday 22 April 2022 12:50 , Marc Mayo

Lando Norris loses his McLaren into the gravel at the final turn, and comes into the pits as a precaution with his team radio warning of some minor tyre damage.

We’re down to a 1:35.629 at the top as Leclerc continues to edge Verstappen, followed by Sainz and Magnussen.

Friday 22 April 2022 12:45 , Marc Mayo

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc are trading times atop the timesheet with a 1:37.247 from the Red Bull sure to tumble soon enough.

Not immediately by Carlos Sainz though, who has just cut across the grass where Alex Albon did moments ago.

Friday 22 April 2022 12:40 , Marc Mayo

An early spin for Leclerc but the title favourite keeps it on the track and ploughs into the mist regardless.

And then a Williams in the gravel! That’s Nicholas Latifi down at the Turn 7 hairpin. He makes it back onto the track and continues. Replays show Albon taking a little trip across the grass too.

Friday 22 April 2022 12:37 , Marc Mayo

Wet tyres on for Mick Schumacher, who didn’t have the turning circle to pull out of the garage! After a bit of jimmying by his mechanic, he’s on his way.

Pierre Gasly and Kevin Magnussen are also out, followed by the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Friday 22 April 2022 12:33 , Marc Mayo

No surprise that nobody is rushing out to get on track and be the first to try and clear a way through the damp.

The track temperature is a frosty 14.9°C so there will be incredibly little grip.

After a bit of a wait, some engines fire into action and Valtteri Bottas braves the conditions.

Green light!

Friday 22 April 2022 12:30 , Marc Mayo

The weekend is underway in Emilia Romagna...

Weather latest

Friday 22 April 2022 12:18 , Marc Mayo

Weekend preview

Friday 22 April 2022 12:10 , Marc Mayo

This weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix will see the tifosi paint the stands red in hope of another victory for championship-leading Ferrari — but conditions could well throw up a surprise.

As the rain hammered down on the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari this morning, there was a hint of trepidation about championship leader Charles Leclerc.

“Rain hasn’t been one of our strengths in the last few years,” said the winner of the first two races.

Read the full story.

Just 30 minutes until the session begins

Friday 22 April 2022 11:59 , Marc Mayo

Can Charles Leclerc continue his streak?

Brollies up...

Friday 22 April 2022 11:53 , Marc Mayo

Friday 22 April 2022 11:48 , Marc Mayo

Haas boss Gunther Steiner has insisted his team have “nothing to hide” amid speculation over the nature of their close relationship with Ferrari.

“The FIA is keeping good track of us, what we are doing,” Steiner said.

“They were again yesterday in our offices to inspect, and I invite them: they can come along once a week, once a day, whenever they want.

“We have nothing to hide. We work to the regulations, so I don’t know what the FIA… if there is an investigation going on, if they responded to the people if asked for questions, I don’t know about that.”

That’s one way of getting the car here!

Friday 22 April 2022 11:41 , Marc Mayo

Friday 22 April 2022 11:29 , Marc Mayo

Lewis Hamilton has laid out his vision for Chelsea as part of a consortium bidding to buy the Premier League club.

With the seven-time world champion’s Formula One career set to take precedent for at least the next couple of years, he plans to one day become more hands-on at Stamford Bridge if Sir Martin Broughton is successful in leading a takeover.

“At the moment my primary focus is continuing in Formula One, this isn’t my first investment but it’s something I’m excited about,” he told reporters in Italy.

Read the full story.

How to watch

Friday 22 April 2022 11:22 , Marc Mayo

TV channel: The race will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 and Main Event.

Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can also tune in via the Sky Go app.

Friday 22 April 2022 11:15 , Marc Mayo

Weather update

Friday 22 April 2022 11:10 , Marc Mayo

The data screen that delivers information on the weather to the media room at Imola currently rates the chances of rain as ‘one’ - out of, err, one.

It’s wet. And it’s going to stay wet.

Spare a thought for the poor sods on a track tour aboard some open-top lorries ahead of practice beginning. They probably paid a lot of money for that, too.

Weekend session times

Friday 22 April 2022 11:03 , Marc Mayo

The weekend begins with first practice at 12.30pm BST.

A qualifying session takes place at 4pm to decide the grid for the next day’s sprint qualifying.

A second practice session kicks things off on Saturday, at 11.30am before sprint qualifying at 3.30pm. On Sunday, the race is scheduled to begin at 2pm.

Good morning!

Friday 22 April 2022 08:41 , Marc Mayo

Welcome to Standard Sport’s coverage of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix!

It all starts here with Friday practice ahead of qualifying later today, with the weather and the first sprint of the season bringing plenty of intrigue to this weekend’s action.