McLaren’s Oscar Piastri delivered a stellar lap to secure pole position for the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, edging out reigning world champion Max Verstappen by just 0.034 seconds in a dramatic and incident-filled qualifying session at the historic Imola circuit.
Piastri’s pole—his first of the 2024/25 season—came amidst major drama on track, including two high-speed crashes and a surprise double elimination of both Ferrari drivers in Q2, much to the disappointment of the home crowd.
High Drama in Qualifying
The session began with a major crash involving Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda during Q1. The Japanese driver lost control at the Villeneuve Chicane, hitting the barriers backwards with such force that his car momentarily flipped before landing upright. Thankfully, Tsunoda walked away unscathed and was taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks. The session was red-flagged for 15 minutes for barrier repairs and car recovery.
Shortly after the restart, another crash halted the session. Franco Colapinto, making his F1 debut for Alpine, lost the rear of his car at the exit of Tamburello, spinning into the gravel and slamming into the barriers. He, too, emerged unharmed but now faces a potential grid penalty for an alleged unsafe release into the pit lane earlier in the session.
Ferrari’s Misery at Home
At what was expected to be a strong weekend for Ferrari, both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were unexpectedly knocked out in Q2, qualifying only 11th and 12th, respectively. The pair struggled to match the pace as the track improved late in the session and small errors proved costly. The tifosi were left stunned at the early exit of both drivers at Ferrari’s first home race of the year.
Hamilton, clearly frustrated, radioed to his team: “Sorry guys, I can’t improve for some reason.”
Tight Battle for Pole
In Q3, Verstappen set the early benchmark with a 1:14.772, showcasing blistering pace through the first sector. However, Piastri responded brilliantly on his final flying lap, gaining time in the middle and final sectors to post a 1:14.670—good enough to take provisional pole.
Neither Lando Norris nor Verstappen could improve on Piastri’s time, sealing pole for the Australian by a razor-thin margin. George Russell impressed in third with a strong lap on medium tyres, pushing Lando Norris to fourth, while Fernando Alonso delivered his best qualifying of the season to line up fifth for Aston Martin.
Top 10 Qualifiers
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:14.670
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +0.034
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
- Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
- Alex Albon (Williams)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
Further Down the Grid
Behind the eliminated Ferraris, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli placed 13th, followed by Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto. Liam Lawson, Nico Hülkenberg, Esteban Ocon, and Oliver Bearman rounded out the bottom five. Bearman’s final lap was under FIA review after Tsunoda’s crash brought Q1 to a chaotic close.
With Piastri’s brilliant pole and high-stakes drama throughout the field, Sunday’s Grand Prix promises to be a thrilling showdown at Imola.
