F1 Imola Grand Prix 2025: Full Weekend Schedule, Dates, and Key Times
As the seventh round of the season, the race kicks off the European leg with serious momentum — especially for McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who has won the last three races and currently leads the championship.
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This weekend also marks a milestone for Lewis Hamilton, who will race in front of the Italian tifosi as a Ferrari driver for the first time at Imola. Meanwhile, Red Bull's Max Verstappen—currently third in the standings—will be looking to bounce back as the team introduces a fresh round of upgrades.
The action begins on Friday, May 17, with Practice 1 at 7:30 AM ET and Practice 2 at 11:00 AM ET, offering teams their first real read on the updated European spec cars.
Trackside runoff of the ImolaOn Saturday, the final practice session runs at 6:30 AM ET, followed by a critical qualifying session at 10:00 AM ET, where grid position is more important than ever on this narrow and demanding track. The main event takes place on Sunday, May 19 at 9:00 AM ET.
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Imola remains one of the sport's most technically demanding circuits, featuring 63 laps over 4.909 km layout.
That brings the total race distance to 309.049 km. The current lap record stands at 1:15.484, set by Lewis Hamilton during the 2020 season. With limited overtaking zones and razor-thin margins, track position will be everything.
With McLaren flying, Red Bull regrouping, and Ferrari under the microscope at home, Imola could be a turning point in this year's title fight.
Related: Max Verstappen Building Sim Racing Empire While Helping Develop F1 Feeder Series Tech
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Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Ford Expands Role to 'Almost the Entire Car' in Red Bull's 2026 F1 Project
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Ford has revealed that it has expanded its work on Red Bull's 2026 challenger to "almost the entire car." The American automaker partnered with Red Bull to assist the team with the electrification of the new power unit. Now though, it appears that Ford has also been working on the internal combustion engine. F1 enters a new era of regulations next year, where cars will be very different from the current ground effect era cars. The major change will be in the power unit, which will be powered by an internal combustion engine running on sustainable fuel and electric power, split in an equal ratio. 2026 marks the onset of new chassis and engine regulations, with the cars being slightly lighter and more compact, with smaller tires than the current car. Additionally, instead of the Drag Reduction System at the rear wing, the new car will feature active aerodynamics at the front and rear wings. Red Bull parts ways with its current engine supplier, Honda, after the 2025 season, as it develops its own 2026 power units in collaboration with Ford under the Red Bull Powertrains banner. The initial plan was to utilize Ford's expertise in electrification that seamlessly integrates with the internal combustion unit. However, as the new era draws closer, Ford's role is said to have increased in the power unit development. A detailed view of the Oracle Red Bull Racing and Ford badges on the back of Emely de Heus of Netherlands and MP Motorsport prior to race one of F1 Academy Round 4 at Circuit... A detailed view of the Oracle Red Bull Racing and Ford badges on the back of Emely de Heus of Netherlands and MP Motorsport prior to race one of F1 Academy Round 4 at Circuit Zandvoort on August 24, 2024 in Zandvoort, Netherlands. MoreRed Bull has undergone considerable transformation in recent months, from Max Verstappen's teammate Yuki Tsunoda replacing Liam Lawson to the outfit's new team principal, Laurent Mekies, who replaced Christian Horner. The team is facing challenges with its current RB21 F1 car, which is reportedly a major reason for the slump in performance. However, it is unknown if these changes have had an impact on Ford's increased involvement in 2026 power unit development. Speaking on the shift in the scenario, Ford global director Mark Rushbrook told Motorsport Aktuell, as quoted by RacingNews365: "We wanted to learn about electrification: battery cell chemistry, motors, inverters, calibration, control, and how everything interacts with the combustion engine. We wanted to learn about optimising fuel efficiency. "Initially, we weren't really interested in working on the combustion engine, but now we're doing it because we obviously still have a lot to learn in this area. "We're primarily helping with the production of parts. So now we're working on almost the entire car - and also on the operational side." Related: Ford Sets Bold Condition to Stay in Formula One Amid V8 Talks

Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
A startup promised EV jobs to struggling towns. They're still waiting.
A startup promised 45,000 EV jobs to struggling towns. They're still waiting. They came with promises of transformation: thousands of jobs, surging salaries, and a foothold in the booming electric vehicle market. Imola Automotive USA, a Boca Raton, Florida-based startup, pitched officials in small, struggling towns in Georgia, Oklahoma, and Arkansas on a bold vision. The company planned to build six EV plants, create 45,000 jobs - and help these impoverished communities secure a place in America's green future, Floodlight reports. But over 18 months later, the company hasn't broken ground on a single site. And its top executive - whose background is in television and athletic shoes, not automotive manufacturing - has gone silent. A Floodlight investigation did not uncover lost taxpayer money in Fort Valley, Georgia; Langston, Oklahoma; or Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where Imola has sought free land, municipal financing, and other incentives for its shifting proposals. But an economic development watchdog said the episode illustrates how the frenzy to land electric vehicle jobs can leave economically distressed towns vulnerable to empty promises. Imola CEO Rodney Henry declined requests for an interview. He responded to Floodlight's inquiries with a short statement, insisting the company had not given up on its plans, which have included a partnership with an Italian manufacturer of two-seat electric vehicles. "Our timetable has been modified due to matters outside of our control," Henry said in a statement. "We are highly focused on bringing our goals into alignment. Due to proprietary consideration as well as NDA (nondisclosure) agreements, we are not at liberty to discuss specifics at this juncture." That's a stark shift from the company's earlier promises. In a press release issued in January 2024, Henry claimed the company had already secured land in multiple states to build half a dozen plants and create tens of thousands of jobs. Could someone with no experience in car manufacturing really deliver that? "It's ludicrous," said Greg LeRoy, CEO of Good Jobs First, a nonprofit that tracks and analyzes economic development projects. Building large auto plants, he said, requires "a great deal of capital, a great deal of management skill, a great deal of engineering and marketing chops. And obviously, Tesla developed those, but they didn't do it overnight, right?" Langston, Fort Valley, and Pine Bluff weren't the only towns swept up in the competition to attract electric vehicle plants. Spurred by federal policies like the Inflation Reduction Act, which unlocked billions in private investment and expanded government incentives, local officials across the country scrambled to land high-paying manufacturing jobs and a slice of the booming clean energy economy. Since the IRA passed in 2022, more than 150 EV plants have been announced in the United States, according to E2, a nonpartisan group of business leaders who advocate for economic development good for the environment. But that rush may be grinding to a halt. The recently passed "One Big Beautiful Bill," which rolls back many federal tax credits and incentives for electric vehicles, is already throwing the EV sector into turmoil - threatening to stall or shrink the kinds of ambitious projects towns like Langston, Fort Valley and Pine Bluff were counting on. E2 reports that plans for 14 EV-related plants have been canceled this year. Bold promises, then silence In three towns where Imola pledged massive investment, there's no sign of construction and little more than confusion. Langston - a town of 1,600 where more than 35% of residents live in poverty - never saw Imola's plans take shape. A 2023 letter to the city council from former Imola chief operating officer Eric Pettus stated that the company had run into "multiple obstacles," including trouble acquiring enough land. "In order for us to continue moving forward on the project, we are requesting that the City of Langston convey to us any and all vacant properties owned by the city," Pettus wrote. Langston City Council member Magnus Scott said the company also asked the town to issue municipal bonds to help them build their plant. But before any land changed hands or bonds were issued, a company representative delivered unexpected news: The deal had been canceled. "I guess maybe they ran into financial problems," Scott said. Reached by phone, Pettus, of south Florida, said he's no longer employed by Imola but instead works as a consultant for the company. Citing a nondisclosure agreement, he declined to discuss Imola's plans. Fort Valley gave its backing in early 2024 to Imola's ambitious plan to build an EV plant that would employ 7,500 workers. A year later, with no sign of progress on the plant, the company came back to the Georgia town with an entirely different proposal. This time, instead of building an EV plant, they pitched a high-tech lighting system for the town. One city council member balked. "You want us to sign an agreement for 99 years before you bring us the car company," said council member Laronda Eason, according to minutes of the March 2025 meeting. "It feels like a bait and switch." Eason did not respond to emails and text messages seeking comment on the Imola proposal. In Pine Bluff, where per capita income last year was just over $21,000, city officials were initially all in. Writing to Henry in August 2024, then-Mayor Shirley Washington said the city of 39,000 stood ready to buy land, build infrastructure, and issue industrial revenue bonds to support Imola's vision. "With an anticipated employment base of more than 8,000 jobs," Washington wrote, "we firmly believe this investment will marshal a pivotal turning point in our community." But a year later, the project hasn't moved. "We never did get off the ground with that," Washington said in a brief phone interview. LeRoy said Imola's pitch fits a troubling pattern. "It grabs me as an example of how the craze among governors and mayors to get the next big thing has caused some sloppy vetting," he said of the struggling communities courted by Imola. Such towns, he said, are "easy prey. …They're desperate." Grand vision, missing details Henry, who lives in Florida, touts a background as a longtime TV executive producer and the founder of Protégé, an athletic footwear brand. He claims on his IMDB profile that Protégé donated a million pairs of shoes to African nations. But despite announcements of partnerships and promises of good-paying jobs, his EV company has yet to show any tangible progress. Floodlight found the website for Imola - named after the Italian city where Tazzari EVs are made - is no longer accessible without a password. A search of the Tazzari website found no mention of plants in the United States. But a 2024 version of the Imola site mentions the tiny vehicles "coming soon to America." In early 2024, Imola Automotive USA and the Tazzari Group - an Italian firm best known for its electric two-seater micro cars - jointly announced plans for a partnership. The EVs that Tazzari makes in Italy aren't designed for highway driving. Top speed on the company's Opensky Sport model is about 56 miles per hour, while maximum speed on the Opensky Limited is about 37 mph, according to the company's webpage. Tazzari didn't respond to email messages from a Floodlight reporter. Henry said at that time that the company chose Langston and Fort Valley because of their universities. "Both of these locations are ideal," he said in the January 2024 news release, "as their proximity to communities with institutions of higher learning, will allow residents and students career opportunities in the fast growing EV Technology and Innovation Industry." Many local officials in Fort Valley, Langston and Pine Bluff did not respond to interview requests. Few documents were provided in response to Floodlight's public records requests. But it's clear from available records that Imola's promises stirred hope. Langston Mayor Michael Boyles called the proposal "transformative" in a January 2024 news release. But some local leaders soon began to question the details. Erica Johnson, a real estate agent and former member of Langston's economic development commission, said parts of the plan didn't add up. How, for instance, would the company house more than 1,000 workers in such a small town? And how were they going to build such a large plant on land without utilities or water? Her doubts deepened when she learned that Imola wanted to lock down land agreements without putting up any earnest money. "My early feeling was that, 'Something is not quite okay with this,' " she said. "But I think the hope for our community kind of outweighed the ability to just take things slow and look at them for where they are and what they are - versus where you hope them to be." Eventually, the promise fizzled. "It was disappointing," Johnson said. "...We could have had our energy and time focused on something that seemed more valid and more substantial." Still waiting for the shovels Some residents in Fort Valley are still holding out hope. Mayor Jeffery Lundy said early last year that it was a "priority for my administration to land a company like Imola Automotive USA." Local officials, he said, were looking forward to the economic boost the plant would bring. At the time, Imola claimed it would break ground on a 195-acre site by the third quarter of 2024 and open the plant within 20 months, according to a report in the Macon Telegraph. During a February 2024 town hall meeting, Imola officials told residents that the plant would pay employees an average of $45 an hour, according to a Facebook post. Commenters buzzed with excitement, with one writing: "Application me !!!!" Pettus told a local TV station that most jobs would require only a high school diploma. In early 2024, Fort Valley rezoned land to accommodate the plant, and the city council signed off on the deal. But more than 15 months later, there's still no sign of construction. Council members were told that Georgia Power couldn't provide sufficient power for the EV company, according to minutes of their March 2025 meeting. A spokesman for Georgia Power said that while the utility doesn't discuss economic development projects, "We're prepared and ready to meet the energy needs of any new customer." Makita Driver, one of the Facebook commenters who'd voiced excitement about the proposed EV plant, said there's no doubt she would have applied for one of the jobs there - had the facility ever been built. "The pay rate was really what got my attention," she said. As a medical assistant, Driver said she earns far less than what Imola had promised. But she eventually concluded the promises were too good to be true. "Who really makes that kind of money starting out?" she asked. In a brief interview with Floodlight on July 11, Mayor Lundy said he's still in contact with Henry. "We are patiently waiting for that groundbreaking," Lundy said. Floodlight is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates the powers stalling climate action. This story was produced by Floodlight and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. © Stacker Media, LLC.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Adam Wharton drops subtle gesture on live TV after Liverpool transfer links
Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton clarified his intentions regarding his future during Wednesday's training session, with Sky Sports present at the Eagles' preparation facility. Despite focusing on their UEFA Conference League playoff against Frederkstad, the club cannot sidestep transfer rumors and enquiries. With mere days left in the transfer window, Palace confronts the possibility of losing two crucial players. Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi remain potential targets for Tottenham and Liverpool, respectively, as the month draws to a close, following their instrumental roles in securing Palace's European qualification. Speculation has also surrounded figures such as Wharton and Jean-Phillipe Mateta as they continue establishing their credentials after FA Cup success. READ MORE: Alexander Isak finally breaks silence on Newcastle fallout as Liverpool transfer hangs in the balance READ MORE: Alexander Isak could use little-known FIFA rule to force Newcastle transfer exit Wharton was linked with Liverpool during a previous transfer window, although there's nothing to suggest the Reds will swoop for him this time around. Liverpool's transfer priority is signing a center-back like Guehi. During the public portion of their session, Oliver Glasner's squad couldn't dodge transfer discussions in a tangible manner. Sky Sports reporter Gary Cotterill positioned himself on the touchline whilst a studio presenter set the context. "This is prime Sky Sports News, prime Gary Cotterill," the studio anchor remarked. "He's within arm's length of Eberechi Eze, and Adam Wharton, you can ask him about his future while he's there, and Jean-Phillipe Mateta." Speaking loudly enough for neighboring players to overhear, Cotterill responded: "I'm not going to ask Adam Wharton about his future, no." Eze was the first to glance up, casting a disapproving look toward the camera before Wharton responded in kind. The ex-Blackburn star, after a brief exchange with Mateta, turned to the camera and adjusted his STATSports Vest, seemingly attempting to display the Crystal Palace badge on his training gear. However, Eze and Guehi might not be as enthusiastic, given their futures are yet to be decided. Both are expected to play in Thursday's match against Fredrikstad. Negotiations between Tottenham and Palace over a transfer fee for Eze have yet to reach a conclusion. Eze is reportedly open to the idea of relocating across London but is waiting for progress. Oliver Glasner maintains that both players remain dedicated to his cause. "Most of you will be surprised that they will start again tomorrow because of all the rumors," Glasner said in his press conference. "But they are committed here and they will play a crucial part."