Emilia-Romagna GP Oscar Piastri takes pole in qualifying
Championship leader Oscar Piastri narrowly beat reigning champion Max Verstappen to pole position for Sunday’s Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
Piastri’s McLaren was 0.034 seconds faster than the Red Bull at Imola as the two drivers traded fastest sector times around the three-mile circuit.
Verstappen improved his lap time on his final attempt, and exited the final corner ever so slightly ahead of Piastri’s time only for the McLaren to have the edge on the drag to the finish line.
Lando Norris, who is currently second in the championship and 16 points behind Piastri, had to settle for fourth on the grid after Mercedes’ George Russell beat him to third in the final moments of the session.
The result sets up an intriguing battle for Sunday’s race after Piastri and Verstappen last lined up alongside each other on the front row at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, at which the McLaren driver beat the Verstappen into the first corner despite starting second.
Fernando Alonso secured a season-best fifth place on the grid in a heavily upgraded Aston Martin. The British team started the season on the back foot, but brought the most extensive list of updates to this weekend’s race and appears to have made a significant step forward.
Carlos Sainz took sixth for Williams ahead of teammate Alex Albon in seventh, while the second Aston Martin of Lance Stroll secured eighth.
Isack Hadjar’s impressive rookie season continued with ninth on the grid for Racing Bulls ahead of the Alpine of Pierre Gasly in 10th.
Both Ferrari were eliminated in Q2 in a disappointing performance in front of the team’s home fans. The result, which will see Charles Leclerc line up 11th and Lewis Hamilton 12th, is a continuation of the team’s poor form at recent races.
“My god, my god, my god,” Leclerc said over team radio when informed he was 0.083 seconds off a place in the top 10.
There was more disappointment for local fans as the only Italian on the grid, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, qualified 13th for his first home race of his career. Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto will start 14th on the grid for Sauber.
Franco Colapinto’s first qualifying session as an Alpine driver came to an end in the barriers after a big accident at Imola’s Tamburello Chicane in Q1.
The Argentine driver was drafted in ahead of the weekend to replace Jack Doohan, who completed just seven races with the team before being demoted to the roll of reserve driver.
He was attempting to improve on his first Q1 time when he ran wide in the final section of the Tamburello Chicane, lost the rear of the car and ploughed through the gravel on the outside of the corner and into the barriers.
He had set the 14th fastest time when the session was red flagged for the incident, meaning he advanced to Q2 despite not being able to take part in the session.
Colapinto is under investigation after he was sent into the pit lane before an official restart time was given.
Yuki Tsunoda also walked away from a huge accident in Q1, which saw his Red Bull barrel roll after impact with the barriers at the Villeneuve Chicane.
Tsunoda was on his first flying lap in qualifying when he took too much kerb on the first apex of the chicane and lost the rear of the car at roughly 120 mph.
There was no opportunity to slow the car as he spun through the gravel, resulting in a huge impact with the barriers that catapulted the car into the air.
The Red Bull came to a rest the right way up, allowing Tsunoda to climb out of the wreckage before he was taking to the medical centre for mandatory checks.
After failing to set a time, Tsunoda will line up last on the grid for Sunday’s race.
Liam Lawson will start 16th for Racing Bulls ahead of Nico Hülkenberg and the two Haas drivers of Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman.
Source: espn.com