Imola Speed Trap: Who is the fastest of them all?

Imola's wide variety of corners and speeds – a typical old-school circuit trait – means that maximum velocity is a secondary criterion relative to balance and traction.

However, given the long haul down to Tamburello where most overtaking takes places, a healthy top speed coupled with DRS is a very useful combination on race day, especially as overtaking opportunities are typically few and far between elsewhere around the 4.909km circuit.

Oddly, the speed trap at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari is located at the end of the stretch between Varianta Alta and Rivazza, rather than at the end of the higher speed main straight that leads to Tamburello.

So there’s relatively little to read into the main speed trap numbers which you will nevertheless find hereabove.

However, according to data collected by Formula Data Analysis, the maximum velocity on the main straight offers a few interesting insights into the front-runners’ performances.

While Oscar Piastri set the pace in Saturday’s qualifying, the Aussie’s top speed of 323 km/h was a significant 8 km/h slower than Max Verstappen’s Red Bull which clocked in at 331 km/h on its run down to Tamburello.

This is likely in part due to the RB21 running a less loaded set-up coupled with the McLaren perhaps deploying less energy than elsewhere around the track where the MCL39 excelled thanks to its downforce.

• Read also: Verstappen ‘a lot happier’ with Red Bull car but wary of tyre woes

At 330 km/h, George Russell, who qualified third, demonstrated Mercedes’ strong aero efficiency – strong velocity as well as a high level of downforce.

Fernando Alonso was an unexpected presence among the top 5 in Q3, an impressive position the Spaniard owed to a well-judged tyre strategy – Aston relied on the medium compound in Q3 – and to an excellent set-up optimized around the AMR25’s upgrades.

It’s worth noting however that Aston’s low-speed cornering performance – as measured by its car’s relative minimum speed – was well adrift from that of its rivals.

On the strategy front, the one-stop is still the most viable choice, according to Pirelli F1 boss Mario Isola, especially on a track where overtaking is rather complicated, in part because there is only one DRS zone and also because this is the longest pit lane of the season in terms of time lost during a pit stop.

“Clearly, the combination of Medium and Hard, with a stop between laps 17 and 23, is the most likely,” Isola explained.

“As an alternative, some drivers might prefer to go for a longer first stint, starting on the Hard, in the hope of an eventual Safety Car, in which case the switch to Medium would be between laps 37 and 43.

“A two-stop strategy is not out of the question in terms of total race time, but the factors just mentioned mean it is at a disadvantage. For anyone attempting this, the best combinations would be Medium-Hard-Hard.”

But once again, if a blistering launch off the line by Max enables the Dutchman to overhaul Piastri, fans will likely be treated to a battle royale where tyre management, circumstances and skill will determine the outcome.

Barring any unforeseen event, our money is once again on McLaren and Piastri.

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