San Marino GP delivers again for F1 – Up/Down at Imola 2024

The Emilia Romagna Whatever Grand Prix (it’s San Marino, OK?) came within 0.7sec of actually being interesting, but we can’t be too picky.

It might have been tricky for cars to pass, but back when Imola was previously a mainstay on the calendar in the 2000s overtakes might as well have been in minus numbers – just think about that next time Zhou Guanyu overtakes Logan Sargeant for 15th (if the Williams driver ever gets that high up).

Squeaky Bum Time came for Verstappen and all F1 fans came when Norris looked like he might nick it at the death, before the Dutchman just won yet another race as if nothing had happened.

Will the rest of the championship be so close?

Here’s what was going up and down at Il Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari.

Goin’ Up

Classic tracks

After the F1 season so far being almost 50% dross circuit-wise – submitting us all to the dreariness of Sakhir, Shanghai and Miami – Imola was sweet relief for the racing eyes.

Undulating, flowing, with lots of lovely gravel looking to welcome cars with open arms if they went beyond the outer limits. And Verstappen concurred.

“It’s just a fantastic track,” he said. “I wish we had 24 of those on the calendar. We go to a lot of ones that don’t really excite me, but this is unbelievable.

“There are a few old-school tracks that we have remaining on the calendar and that’s also what I fell in love with when I started racing and watching F1. We need more of those.”

We’d all prefer 24 Imolas to a whole host of Abu Dhabi-esque snore-a-dromes. Looks like Imola possibly won’t even make 2025 though, with Domenicali having his eye on cash elsewhere. Great.

Wise investment

Stroll got into the points for the first time in four races. Those Aston upgrades really must be working.

Vintage threads-bare

Full respect to Eddie Irvine for not even bothering to buy new overalls, just pulling out his old 2002 Jaguar garments for the Senna demonstration run at the Monaco Historique last week. Thrifty.

Vintage machinery

Sebastian Vettel wasn’t hanging round when he brought out the McLaren MP4/8 for a blast round Imola – absolutely giving it some. You’ve got to love it.

Volume up 🔊

Listen to Sebastian Vettel’s roaring lap in Ayrton Senna’s McLaren MP4/8 🦁 pic.twitter.com/Hq5IR5cXJo

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) May 19, 2024

Papaya rising

Thank goodness McLaren is trying to make the season worth watching. Just pray Norris gets pole in Monaco so we can have 70 laps of Verstappen stewing on the Macca gearbox.

Goin’ Down

Walliams

Still no points for Williams. Apart from Sargeant’s two penalty points in China.

Steak out

Another miserable outing for Steak Bake F1. 15th for Zhou and 18th for Bottas. Team CEO Robo Seidl must be planning some pretty significant changes to get the team running on ‘Swiss Time’ in 2026.

What have I done?!

Awkward camera focuses on new Alpine tech director David Sanchez as, similar to Williams and Steak Pie GP, Team Enstone looked a bit hopeless in Italy.

What can they do to make grid’s ugliest car faster? Take more paint off?

Pre-war Partridge