Mercedes upgrades

On the subject of Mercedes… 

The Brackley have formed a changed outfit.

The front suspension leg fairings have been modified, and they now feature a noticeable upward flip similar to McLaren's where the upper wishbone legs attach to the chassis.

According to Mercedes, the purpose of this reprofiling is to increase aerodynamic robustness under various circumstances, which will enhance flow to the back of the vehicle and, in turn, floor load.

Mercedes' front wing is likewise essentially new, with the individual components re-profiled to alter the chord length and span. This results in "a change in upwash field behind the wing, resulting in improved onset flow to the rear".

Last but not least, the engine cover's rear has a revised profile with a little modification to the coke bottle area to enhance flow to the rear wing for additional load and boost engine cooling effectiveness.

Hamilton speaks out on season so far 

The legendary driver is nearing a year since his last victory - and looks nowhere near one in the red of Ferrari in his debut season. 

His predecessor, Carlos Sainz, has outqualified him for the fourth time in a row.

Home heroes 

When Kimi Antonelli entered the Imola paddock earlier in the week, he was given a large jar of pasta. Is he going to use it? I believe he will.

The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix finds the Italian teenager, who only lives 30 minutes from the track, on home soil for the first time this season.

He is a fan of Serie A club Bologna, and the celebrations after their triumph in the Coppa Italia this week kicked off his weekend.

He is now sitting sixth in the drivers' standings, seven points ahead of Lewis Hamilton, the man he replaced at Mercedes.

Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, is also making his maiden appearance in front of Italian spectators. Although the Ferrari driver won the China sprint in March, he is yet to secure a spot on the main podium and starts this race in P12.

All eyes on the C6

Teams were expected to get acquainted with the new C6 compound, which premieres this weekend, but there's an expectation it won't be of use today.

With the C4 being the white hard and the C5 being the yellow medium, this red tyre is the softest of the three that were delivered to the famous 19-turn Imola track this week if used.

According to supplier Pirelli, the C6 might offer a respectable amount of grip for one-lap pace because the Italian track is less rough than others on the schedule.