What is the Qualifying Schedule for the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?

Published 04/16/2021, 3:33 PM EDT

The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the second race of the 2021 F1 season, will kick off at Imola next weekend. On Friday, the race weekend comprises two practice sessions. Then there is one practice and qualifying on Saturday, and the race on Sunday.

Most of the drivers will tackle the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari for the second time in their careers. For some like Mick Schumacher, Yuki Tsunoda, and Nikita Mazepin, this is their first visit to the track.

As per the usual format, qualifying is divided into three segments. Qualifying kicks off at 6:30 pm IST and runs for about an hour. Of course, everything starts with Q1 which runs for 15 minutes before the bottom 5 drivers are eliminated.

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After a few minutes of respite, Q2 begins and lasts for 12 minutes, after which five more drivers are eliminated. Finally, Q3 decides the Top 10 drivers and lasts for 10 minutes.

What to expect from the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?

The coming weekend’s race should be exciting as the circuit is an iconic F1 track. Lewis Hamilton won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix last year and will be eager to repeat the feat.

However, the likes of Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen will be keen to stop him and add their names to the Imola winners list.

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It will also be the first time in 15 years that Fernando Alonso last raced in Imola. The Spaniard won the race back in 2005 when he drove for Renault, but may find it difficult to repeat that feat. It has also been a long time since a Scuderia Ferrari car won at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari.

Interestingly, Ferrari and Williams have racked up the most wins at the track. Truthfully speaking, it will take a while for Mercedes to get to that level. Admittedly, there is also a chance that the weather could play spoilsport and mix things up.

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One thing is for sure, the 2021 Emilia Romagna GP will be a very exciting watch. Safe to say, many of the older generation fans are truly happy to see the iconic track back in F1.

2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix: Where to Watch and What Time Is F1 Free Practice?

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.

What is the Qualifying Schedule for the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?

What to expect from the 2021 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix?

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