Imola GP: Norris Thrilled Piastri Set for Debut

McLaren F1’s Norris eagerly returns to Imola, while rookie Piastri gears up for his first race there.

Lando Norris arrives at Imola this weekend for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix with a sense of relief. The McLaren F1 driver, who stood on the podium in the last two editions of the GP, is pleased to arrive as a winner following his victory in Miami.

“I’m heading to Imola as a race winner, which feels good,” says the British driver. “It was incredible to walk into the MTC with the trophy and have everyone at the factory take the time to celebrate together. We’ve been through a lot over the past six years, and now we want nothing more than to experience more moments like this.”

“During my time at the MTC, I was also back in the simulator preparing with my engineers for this double-header. We are now fully focused on the next race and on the improvements we can make.”

“It’s been two years since we last raced at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, but we’re ready to return. It’s one of my favorite races and I’m looking forward to racing again on this iconic circuit in front of amazing fans.”

Oscar Piastri wants to forget the disappointment of Miami and is set to discover the Imola circuit in an F1 car: “Imola is the next step! I didn’t get the result I wanted in Miami, but it was one of my best weekends so far.”

“It was great to celebrate it with the team last week, but we all crave more, which shows how much we’ve progressed. This is my first Grand Prix at Imola.”

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t race there last year, but we are very excited to return in front of the fans and hope to put on a good show. I’ve resumed engineering and simulation sessions with the team and feel very well prepared. I hope we will bring back good points for the team.”

The “mission is not over” for Stella

Andrea Stella, the team director, hopes to see another strong result after McLaren took the time to celebrate their Florida success. Now, the team aims to continue accumulating good points.

“After a wonderful result in Miami, the team gathered in Woking to celebrate the hard work and dedication that have brought us this far. This does not mean our mission is over. This result has served to reinvigorate our goal of consistently achieving victories and podiums, and we are doubling our efforts,” says the Italian.

“The team has reset, and we are now turning towards the first European race of the year. Imola is one of the fastest circuits on the calendar and should offer us good opportunities to continue adding points to the championship.”

“After the devastation that struck the region last year, we are thrilled to return and are eager to see the Italian fans again.”