Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
It is likely that the Silver Arrows will wrap up the 2020 Formula One Constructors’ Championship for the seventh consecutive time, as they have all the momentum when we head on over to the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix this weekend.
Mercedes have the outright advantage in the updated standings with 435 points. Meanwhile, Red Bull are placed second while Racing Point, McLaren, and Renault are all battling in the middle.
Lewis Hamilton recently broke Michael Schumacher’s all-time record for most wins when he won in the Portuguese Grand Prix, although it felt like it was already inevitable from the moment that he drew level with the Ferrari legend during the Eifel Grand Prix.
Now he has a chance to push his new record even further and he will look to clinch his seventh Formula One championship in style in Imola.
Here are some of the latest Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 2020 updates courtesy of SBOTOP.
Lewis Hamilton insists he’s not done yet
While Lewis Hamilton has been breaking records left and right, his contract with the Silver Arrows will need to be a talking point sooner or later.
The British driver will technically be a free agent in little over two months time, so both sides would need to work on a deal even in this pandemic.
Hamilton’s contract talks have already been mentioned late last year, but he didn’t pay that much attention to it as he was more concerned about winning.
Fast forward to today, the 35-year-old is at the summit of Formula One. He has enjoyed unprecedented success since joining Mercedes seven years ago and he believes that he still has more to offer despite his advancing age.
“I definitely don’t think it’s over. I want to continue to race. Once we get the job done and everything passes on, we can get to whatever comfortable or uncomfortable position we need to be in and we’ll get it done so we can continue,” said Hamilton.
Hamilton is currently 77 points clear in the drivers’ standings with five races left in the 2020 calendar and he can seal the deal in Imola this weekend.
Meanwhile, his teammate in Valtteri Bottas has some work to do to salvage his campaign.
After a dismal outing in the Eifel Grand Prix, the Finnish driver placed second in Portimao and he is hopeful that he can get another positive result in Imola.
Optimism grows for the Prancing Horse
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc during an F1 practice session
They may have been down for almost all season, but Ferrari have something look forward to as they try to finish the last few races of 2020 on a decent note.
Ferrari head of race strategy Inaki Rueda offered a sneak peek of what’s to come for the Prancing Horse, particularly on what they’ve been working on to their cars in preparation for 2021.
“In Portimao, we completed a development programme that began in Sochi. We introduced a new floor and diffuser, which we had wanted to test at the Nürburgring, but could not because of the rain,” said Rueda.
“We also experimented with a new configuration to the end of the floor to reproduce the downforce levels we will have in 2021,” he added.
What’s next for Ferrari is to figure out on how they can maximise the potential of Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver recently finished fourth in Portimao for the first time since the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix.
History
It has been a while since a Formula One race was held in Imola. The last time that this occurred was in 2006 to where Michael Schumacher emerged victorious.
The Ferrari legend holds the most wins here in Imola with seven total, including a three-peat from 2002 to 2004.
After the 2006 edition of this race, Formula One organisers dropped this venue from their calendars to make room for the Belgian Grand Prix.
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was known before as the San Marino Grand Prix.
What are the odds?
The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 2020 odds have Lewis Hamilton as the heavy favourite to win.
The British driver is priced at 1.45 while his counterparts are priced at 2.58 when being compared head-to-head against him.
Valtteri Bottas’ chances don’t look too good as he is pegged at 2.88 while Max Verstappen, Pierre Gasly, and Charles Leclerc are all primed to vie for podium positions with prices of 1.67, 1.91, and 2.07.
The drivers’ unfamiliarity of the track and the unpredictable weather will play huge roles for this race. However, Lewis Hamilton’s collective experience and driving acumen should serve him well en route to his 93rd career win.
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The post Emilia Romagna Grand Prix: Mercedes Looking to Wrap Up the Championship appeared first on SBOTOP.
