P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Aston Martin flying, Ferrari embarrassed – The Imola qualifying surprises came from a totally unexpected tyre curveball that Aston spotted coming
Ferrari’s unexpected early exit during the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix qualifying session was a major upset, resulting in Aston Martin outmaneuvering them with a strategic tire choice. Many teams, including Ferrari, were surprised by the medium tire’s superior performance on a single lap compared to the soft compound. Aston Martin’s decision to stick with mediums for qualifying caught others off guard, leading to an inability to respond effectively in time. The sudden shift in tire performance from Friday to Saturday left teams puzzled and even Pirelli without a clear explanation for the unexpected results. The understeer complaints and lack of expected performance improvement on Saturday raised questions about the C6 compound’s behavior, highlighting the complexities and uncertainties of tire dynamics in Formula 1. Pirelli’s observations suggested a shift in track conditions influencing tire behavior, with the front end becoming more of a limiting factor on Saturday’s performance compared to the rear.
