After the Easter break, F1 returns to action at Imola for the championship’s third race at the iconic venue since it rejoined the calendar during the reshaped 2020 campaign amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Imola also hosts the first sprint race of 2022, with three in total scheduled for this year, following the new format’s introduction last season. The other two F1 sprint races will be held during the Austrian and Sao Paulo GPs.
F1’s sprint race is essentially a shortened version of a normal race, run over a shorter 100km distance and with no mandatory pitstops, compared to F1’s usual 305km grand prix distance (with the exception of the Monaco GP).
F1’s sprint race on Saturday afternoon will be a straightforward 100km race, which tallies up to 21 laps at Imola, with the finishing order setting the final grid for the grand prix on Sunday. The sprint race starts at 3.30pm BST on Saturday and is expected to last around 30 minutes, ‘timed out’ after 60 minutes in total and if the session is red-flagged the maximum total time of the session will be 90 minutes.
The starting order for the sprint event will be decided by qualifying, run in the traditional Q1, Q2 and Q3 format, and will be held on Friday afternoon, starting at 4.00pm BST.
The main change compared to 2021 is more points are on offer for this year’s sprint races, with the winner collecting eight points, while points are awarded all the way down to eighth place. Here’s a full explanation on the sprint race changes.
Full 2022 Emilia Romagna GP session timings
Friday 22nd April 2022
Free Practice 1: 12:30pm-1:30pm BST (1:30pm-2:30pm local)
Qualifying: 4:00pm-5:00pm BST (5:00pm-6:00pm local)
Saturday 23rd April 2022
Free Practice 2: 11:30am-12:00pm BST (12:30pm-1:30pm local)
Sprint: 3:30pm-4:30pm BST (4:30pm-5:30pm local)
Sunday 24th April 2022
Race: 2:00pm BST (3:00pm local)
How can I watch Formula 1?
In the United Kingdom Formula 1 is only broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK.
Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels which costs £20 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.98p or a month membership of £33.99p per month.
Fans wanting to watch the race for free will have to wait until the evening of Saturday (qualifying and sprint) or Sunday (race) to see the highlights on Channel 4.
How can I watch the F1 Emilia Romagna GP?
- Channel: Sky Sports F1 HD
- Channel numbers - Sky: 406
- Channel numbers - Virgin Media: 506
Sky Sports has live and exclusive broadcasting rights in the United Kingdom, with the build-up to the F1 Emilia Romagna GP race starting from 12:30pm ahead of lights out at 2:00pm.
When can I watch the F1 Emilia Romagna GP highlights?
- Channel: Channel 4
- Start time: Saturday qualifying and sprint – 6:45pm BST, Sunday race – 6:30pm BST
Channel 4 has the rights to show Emilia Romagna GP highlights of qualifying and the sprint race on Saturday and the race on Sunday.
Will the F1 Emilia Romagna GP be on the radio?
Live radio coverage of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2022 F1 season will be available on the BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Live Sports Extra stations or via the BBC Sport website.
Coverage of the Emilia Romagna GP will start at 2:00pm BST on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and the BBC Sounds app.
Weather forecast for the Emilia Romagna GP
Imola is set for mixed weather conditions throughout the race weekend, with wet and colder conditions on Friday followed by sunny and warmer weather on Saturday and Sunday. Highs of 21 degrees Celsius are predicted on Sunday for the start of the race, five degrees cooler than the Australian GP last time out.
Most F1 Emilia Romagna GP wins
Max Verstappen: 1 win (2021)
Lewis Hamilton: 1 win (2020)
