Round 7 of the 2024 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season takes MoneyGram Haas F1 Team to the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, more commonly known as Imola, for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Imola first joined Formula 1's calendar in 1980 and sealed a permanent place from 1981 through 2006 under the guise of the San Marino Grand Prix, in reference to the nearby microstate. It fell by the wayside as Formula 1 explored new territories but returned in 2020, originally as a one-off, when the championship required stand-in venues during the Covid-19 pandemic. Imola's popularity meant it secured a long-term deal under the title of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, reflecting a region rich in history, culinary hotspots, and automotive prowess, with MoneyGram Haas F1 Team partners Scuderia Ferrari and Dallara located within the surrounding Motor Valley.

However, last year's race was unable to take place after extreme weather struck the region during the build-up to the planned event. Torrential rain caused widespread damage and disruption to Imola and the surrounding towns, and focus instead was diverted to the relief effort, with Formula 1 and its partners raising money for those affected. The paddock is now ready to reacquaint itself with Imola after the enforced one-year absence and primed to take to the tricky 4.9km track.

The last edition of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in 2022 was prosperous for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, with Kevin Magnussen capturing successive points finishes, when the circuit held its first and only F1 Sprint weekend. Despite Nico Hulkenberg's wealth of experience, having started over 200 grands prix, Imola marks new terrain, with the German having never raced at the circuit. After successive F1 Sprint weekends in Shanghai and Miami, Formula 1 returns to its conventional race weekend format.

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team Reserve Driver Oliver Bearman will make his first appearance of the season during Friday's first practice. Bearman (19) participated in two FP1 sessions for MoneyGram Haas F1 Team in 2023 and this year has joined as a Reserve Driver, a role he is also fulfilling at Scuderia Ferrari. That led to Bearman making his Formula 1 debut in Saudi Arabia with Scuderia Ferrari, as the third-youngest racer in history, and he classified seventh on his one-off appearance. Bearman, part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, is due to participate in six FP1s through 2024 alongside his racing duties for Prema Racing in Formula 2. Bearman will replace Kevin Magnussen in the VF-24 for the opening 60-minute session.

Oliver Bearman: "I'm really looking forward to re-joining the team and taking part in FP1 in Imola. The team is having a strong season and I'm hoping, with the extra experience I have since our last time together, I'll be able to help continue the run of form they're in!"

Nico Hulkenberg: "It may only be Round 7 but it feels like we're deep into the season now, and coming back to Europe feels good. I haven't raced around Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari and I'm excited to tick this track off the list as it's been a lot of fun in the simulator."

Kevin Magnussen: "It's a great track, and one of those that I was watching as a kid and always wanted to race at, so it's fantastic that it's back on the calendar. It was a good weekend the last time we were there, I scored a point in the Sprint in 2022. The track is pretty difficult to overtake on, not impossible, but difficult so it will be more about qualifying than the average track. It's going to be the first good opportunity we have to collect proper aero data on the car that we're running now, so that's going to be very useful and a good experiment.

"You can't help but notice the history when you visit this circuit, some memories more sad than others with Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna's accidents, but nonetheless it's significant, and racing a Formula 1 car in Italy is always special."