The first European race of the season at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix is also the first of three sprint weekends on the 2022 calendar.
It will present greater opportunities than usual, with far more points on offer this year, but the pitfalls remain for anyone who hits trouble in Saturday’s extra race.
Ferrari head to their first of two home rounds in a strong position in the points standings. And while rivals Red Bull are likely to be a close match on pace, their reliability is suspect.
As Formula 1 prepares to return to Imola for the third time in the last three years, here are the talking points for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
Red Bull’s reliability troubles
Verstappen has retired from two of the first three racesMax Verstappen’s defence of his world championship crown has not gotten off to the strongest of starts, through no fault of his own. Despite winning the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Verstappen sits only sixth in the drivers’ championship, 46 points behind the man…