2024 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix Preview

Sven Smeets, Sporting Director: We are looking forward to being back in Imola after the event was cancelled in 2023. After two Sprint Races in China and Miami, the first race in Europe sees us returning to the normal three-day standard format. Friday will give us plenty of opportunity to test different set-ups to fine tune the car for Qualifying and the Race.

The Imola circuit is fast with one of the longest DRS zones, but overtaking remains difficult, which will play a role in setting the race strategy for the weekend. The weight-saving measures we're bringing over the coming races will hopefully bring overall performance to the car. The weather forecast still gives a very small risk of rain on Sunday but it looks less and less likely that weather will play a big part in this weekend’s event.

Alex Albon: I’m looking forward to starting the European arm of the calendar, starting with Imola. After the unfortunate flooding last year, it will be exciting to go racing here again. It’s also a great feeling going into the weekend having announced my commitment to Williams for the long term, and we’re bringing some upgrades this weekend which should help with weight reduction in the car. Hopefully we see some improvements and bounce back as a team.

Logan Sargeant: It’s great to be returning to Imola this week. I’m excited to experience racing this historic track in a F1 car for the first time. Switching back to a normal event format after back-to-back Sprints provides us with the chance to build up the weekend and fine tune our set-up. It’s a narrow circuit with limited opportunities to overtake, so we’ll be looking to maximise our Qualifying performance.