As the races become more frequent, we are beginning to see common reoccurrences that me and you as fans can make opinions on and have a rough idea on the battles to look out for this season in the Drivers and Constructors championships equally.
Despite this though plenty of questions have been left unanswered heading into round 4 of the F1 season and I will be looking at five key questions in this article and the possibilities that the answers could bring.
Will Max Verstappen's team find the mechanical issues and make up for an abysmal start?
Quite fitting that the number one question is the most frequently asked and persistent worry for all Red Bull fans this season, Max's awful start to the season has saw him bow out of two of three rounds due to mechanical faults. This alone leaves a worry for the Red Bull team and his fans but it will be something that he will look to repair from this time out in Italy.
If you want a more in depth analysis on Red Bull's issues I would recommend looking at our very own Daniel Bean's article on the situation:
https://titletalk.wixsite.com/website/post/why-are-red-bull-struggling
2. Will Lewis be back on the podium in Italy?
Lewis Hamilton and podium finishes is like peanut butter and jelly, it is that infamous of a duo that if it doesn't work on three consecutive occasions you will start to question everything you believe in. The Mercedes team got a P3 and P4 finish for Russell and Hamilton last time out but they will certainly be looking to push Leclerc and Ferrari on their homecoming grand prix, will Lewis Hamilton be able to push on his own teammate as well to gain his second podium finish this season in round 4?
3. Has Daniel Riccardo gained the momentum and confidence he needed from his P6 finish in Australia to become a contender for McLaren this season?
After a strong P6 finish in his homecoming Australian Grand Prix, Daniel Riccardo will look for some more consistency in Imola this weekend. He struggled within the first two rounds of the season finishing 14th in Bahrain and being a DNF in Saudi Arabia but the Aussie looks to have gained some confidence heading into this weekend which is a great sign for not only his fans but also the McLaren team who will look to battle Mercedes and Red Bull for a top 3 position in the constructors championship by the end of the year.
4. Will we see a Ferrari 1-2 in the first Italian Grand Prix of the season?
Ferrari haven't done a homecoming 1-2 since the 2004 Italian Grand Prix in Monza with Barichello finishing P1 and Schumacher finishing P2 (Haven't achieved a 1-2 in Imola since the 2002 San Marino Grand Prix) and now looking as strong as ever Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will be looking to both take to the podium at a race track named after Enzo Ferrari, creator of the special racing brand that we know of today and his son Dino who was one of the innovators of Ferrari racing early on.
5. How will all cars fare in the first Sprint Qualifying of the season?
The first of three Sprint Races in qualifying happens this weekend and is something that no one should miss out on, last years introduction of this feature certainly raised a few eyebrows but in my opinion you have to say it created more of a frantic and exciting session on a Saturday to what we are used to.
Finishing off this last question after qualifying for the Sprint Race has ended and a few shocks on the board with Verstappen on pole, further back we see Magunussen and Haas gain 4th with Alonso in 5th (two cars that an eye should be kept on in this sprint race) and finally a shocker for Mercedes who see George Russell in P11 and Lewis Hamilton in P13 (maybe the second question I asked has already been answered...whoops).
This Saturday and Sunday are going to be interesting watches in Imola, I would highly recommend tuning in, getting some popcorn and keeping your eyes peeled for this exciting weekend of racing ahead.
Let us know, what other question marks are there going into this weekend? And also your answers to the five questions I've wrote above.
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