The second race of the 2021 Formula One season is kicking off in just 6 days at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The inaugural race of the season saw a race-long battle between the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, leaving fans eager for more gripping battles on track this year.
Lewis Hamilton came away victorious after R1 in Bahrain, so the question ahead of this weekend is can Max Verstappen – in the revolutionised RB16B – clinch the win from the World Champions at Imola?
Here’s everything you need to know about the next circuit on the 2021 calendar ahead of April 18:
The Circuit
Since its inaugural race in 1981, there have been 28 Formula 1 races held at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit – where Lewis Hamilton holds the fastest lap of 1:15.484s (2020).
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix has been held just once before, in 2020, before this, it was referred to as the San Marino Grand Prix (1981 – 2006).
Michael Schumacher holds the record for the most wins at this track (7), while Ferrari (8) and Williams (8) are tied as the most successful Constructors here.
Last year at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Mercedes AMG Petronas took home their record-breaking seventh consecutive Constructors’ Championship title.
A dramatic race saw Lewis Hamilton take his 93rd career win as his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas crossed the line in second, awarding the Brackley-based team an early title with four races to go in the 2020.
They broke the former record of six consecutive constructors’ championship titles held by Ferrari, taking the milestone one step further.
The second race of the season will take place across 63 laps of the 4.909km Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Circuit at Imola on Sunday, April 18.
This weekend’s track layout now features a section of flat-out acceleration from the exit of Rivazza 2 to the Tamburello chicane, with the Variante Bassa having been removed from the section which is also home to the only DRS zone.
When/ Where to Watch
Free practice 1 will take place on Friday, April 16 at 10:00 am Irish time, with FP2 kicking off just hours later at 1:30 pm.
FP3 begins on Saturday at 10:00 am GMT and will be followed by Qualifying at 1:00 pm.
For the big day on Sunday, coverage will be on Sky and NOW with lights out at 2:00 pm.
You can catch live coverage of the entire 2021 season, every weekend on Sky Sports F1, or grab a NOW sports package.
The Current Standings
