F1 LIVE: The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in Imola: Can Mercedes set a new record?

After just one practice session, and a qualifying session, it is time for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. 20 drivers had 90 minutes of practice before qualifying was scheduled on Saturday when Valtteri Bottas managed to clinch pole position over Lewis Hamilton. With a limited amount of data, so much is still unknown for the race. Follow all developments of the race in Imola via the GPblog live blog!

Liveblog

Fight for the championship?

With four more races after the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Mercedes have almost won the constructors' championship. In Imola, they can achieve this by obtaining at least eleven points. That seems like a formality and as long as Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton don't touch each other in the first corner or record a double DNF, the championship will go to the German team. 

Max Verstappen will mainly aim for a podium place. Behind Verstappen, it is very close. AlphaTauri are very strong again in Italy. With Pierre Gasly in P4 and Daniil Kvyat in P8, the team that won in Monza also have a good chance of a good result in their third home race of the season. 

Record after record for Mercedes

If Mercedes wins the championship this weekend, it will be the seventh time in a row. With this, they set a new record, which they take over from Ferrari. The Italian team won the constructors' championship six times in a row between 1999 and 2004.