Could Imola again provide intra-team F1 fireworks?

With the jet lag from Australia now firmly worn off, Formula 1 teams are busy preparing for the first sprint race of the year on the classic layout of Imola. After missing out on the dramas of Formula 1 for 14 years, Emilia-Romagna’s rolling yet precise and unforgiving circuit will provide its third grand prix in 18 months and, as it reminded us last year, it can be the host of discord between well-connected competitors.

Team-mates often attempt to combine forces in the early part of a season, especially when new technical rules shift the sand and working together creates more opportunity for the team to move forward. But Imola regularly turns up on the calendar at a key phase when the initial results are showing who’s strong, and drivers realise that beating a team-mate could be the answer to winning the title.

When Sergio Perez outqualified Max Verstappen at Imola last year we all sat up and took notice. Ultimately, it was the only time in 2021 he managed to outpace his Red Bull colleague in a genuine qualifying duel, but it was no doubt a wake-up to the Dutchman, who pulled off a brilliant getaway in the wet a day later, squeezed Lewis Hamilton out at Turn 1 and held on for the first win of his title-bound season.

It didn’t seem to affect the Red Bull alliance; the efforts that Perez applied to help Verstappen in the final round in Abu Dhabi were memorable, but there have been moments at Imola in the past which have altered relationships.

Perhaps the most infamous occasion came 40 years ago. In 1982 an argument between the organising bodies of F1 led to just 14 cars entering the San Marino GP at Imola. Yet the conflict between Ferrari partners Didier Pironi and Gilles Villeneuve as they earned a one-two finish became the cause of sheer antagonism.

Previously Pironi and Villeneuve had been real friends, racing hard but respecting each other’s skills. While the two Renaults of Rene Arnoux and Alain Prost dominated qualifying, poor engine reliability was likely to deny success; Prost’s motor let go after six laps while Arnoux enjoyed some glory until lap 45. Villeneuve then inherited the lead with his team-mate behind, and backed off to a less intense level of performance to ensure Ferrari success.

Didier Pironi, 1st position, sprays champagne in celebration on the podium. Gilles Villeneuve, 2nd position, walks away in disgust at his team-mate's actions during the race

Photo by: Ercole Colombo

Pironi, however, had other thoughts. He could see this was going to be an unpredictable season – with three different winners in the first four races – and wanted to grab any opportunity for extra points. When he passed Villeneuve, Pironi didn’t back off and Villeneuve had to chase him down and overtake again, convinced that it would now be settled.

It wasn’t. Pironi shot ahead a few laps later and Villeneuve had to pass again. They were getting excruciatingly low on fuel, yet Pironi still went for the last-lap slipstream to steal the win and in doing so destroyed their friendship. Just two weeks later, Villeneuve would be killed in a qualifying crash in Belgium, stirred up at the time about never giving in to Pironi.

Pure-blooded racer Senna was always going to go for it; he outbraked Prost at Tosa and sailed on to victory. Their coalition disassembled and only began to come back together once Prost retired

Seven years later another relationship was shredded at Imola. Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna made an agreement that whoever led into Turn 1 would get to keep that position in the race. Senna emerged ahead at the first start until a huge shunt for Gerhard Berger led to a red flag. At the restart Prost took the initial advantage and felt comfortable that he wouldn’t have to defend.

But pure-blooded racer Senna was always going to go for it; he outbraked Prost at Tosa and sailed on to victory. Their coalition disassembled and only began to come back together once Prost retired; they were speaking again at Imola on the weekend of Senna’s fatal accident in 1994.

That event was such a tragic part of F1 with the loss of Roland Ratzenberger and Senna. It seems sad that this year is the first since 1995 that the Williams cars will no longer carry the Senna emblem in memory of such a great driver, yet team principal Jost Capito’s explanation that it is time to move on from the past and create a new story under different leadership is understandable.

Last year at Imola no team pairing came to fisticuffs, but we did see two closely linked colleagues fall out. In his third season of being contracted to Williams by Mercedes management, George Russell managed to have a big impact with regular Silver Arrow Valtteri Bottas.

Russell was outraged until he saw replays and realised that putting a wheel on wet grass had been his error. Thankfully, over the next few hours the Briton calmed down and settled sufficiently for Mercedes boss Toto Wolff to retain the concept of Russell replacing Bottas at the end of the year. Dramatic moments can have huge consequences even when both drivers are able to climb out unhurt.

So the first sprint event of the year could be determined by internal team battles. Despite being the initial European race of the season, there have been few big technical updates and the lack of free practice means data gathering is insufficient. It will be an event to make the best of what is out there already. And in some driver’s minds that will simply mean beat your team-mate at all costs.

The desire to beat team-mates led to drama aplenty in qualifying on Friday

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images