11:15
Here’s how they qualified:
1 Valtteri Bottas
2 Lewis Hamilton
3 Max Verstappen
4 Pierre Gasly
5 Daniel Ricciardo
6 Alexander Albon
7 Charles Leclerc
8 Daniil Kvyat
9 Lando Norris
10 Carlos Sainz
11 Sergio Perez
12 Esteban Ocon
13 George Russell
14 Sebastian Vettel
15 Lance Stroll
16 Romain Grosjean
17 Kevin Magnussen
18 Kimi Raikkonen
19 Nicholas Latifi
20 Antonio Giovinazzi
11:03
Preamble
Mercedes Mercedes Mercedes! A seventh successive constructors’ championship is in sight for Toto Wolff’s super-team, and what better setting to clinch it than the autumnal splendour of Emilia-Romagna?
It’s one of the more glorious parts of the world and though Lewis Hamilton and pals won’t have been indulging in the ragu, mortadella and lambrusco the region is rightly famed for, they may well treat themselves to a glass of the good stuff this evening should things go their way.
They certainly did in qualifying, when Hamilton gave a rare glimpse of his fallibility with a sloppy final lap, seeing him pipped to pole by his teammate Valtteri Bottas. We’re yet to see a race this season without a Mercedes driver in pole.
In the drivers’ championship, Hamilton leads Bottas by 77 points with five races remaining, and looks a shoe-in for the title. He can’t claim it at Imola – the first race here since 2006 – but another victory would leave him in the position to do so at the next round, in Istanbul.
So that’s that, then: Mercedes Mercedes Mercedes, all set for glory, without a care in the world – right? Or who knows, maybe there’ll be a twist in the road somewhere. Chi dorme non piglia pesci!
Race starts at 12.10pm GMT
Updated